Angels in a Centerfold
by TheIrishShipperholic
Summary: AU/AH. MAPRIL, KLAROLINE AND DELENA. Collaboration with Erin Salvatore. April, Caroline and Elena are all college students, who model in their spare time to earn some extra cash. What happens when they all get new photographers – and slowly fall in love? NOW COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Angels in a Centerfold  
**Authors:** Erin (Erin Salvatore) and Katie (TheIrishShipperholic)  
**Disclaimer:** Neither of us can take credit for anything but this story and any original character we created.  
**Show/Movie/Book:** The Vampire Diaries  
**Pairings/Couples:** Klaroline, Delena, and Mapril (other couples included: Stebekah, Kalijah, and Jenna, who is known separately as Jeremy/Anna)  
**Rating:** Light to heavy mature, for the necessary chapters & foul language  
**Summary:** April, Caroline and Elena are all college students, who model in their spare time to earn some extra cash. What happens when they all get new photographers – and slowly fall in love?  
**Authors' Notes:** (Katie) This isn't the first collaboration I've done, but this is the first one I've done with someone who knows the ins and outs of Vampire Diaries, and I'm glad that Erin was in agreement to try a collaboration with me!

**Chapter One**

"APRIL!" April Young heard her name being called as she stood in front of the bulletin board outside the dormitory she lived in with two of her best friends, Caroline Forbes and Elena Gilbert, and turned to find Anna Vaughn Gilbert running towards her. Anna was also Elena's new sister in law, having gone and been swept off her feet by Jeremy, Elena's younger brother and the two of them had gotten married earlier this summer in a beautiful ceremony.

April smiled at Anna. "Oh, hey, Anna. How was the wedding?"

"Oh, it was great," she replied. "I couldn't have asked for a better day. Plus, it helped that my mom adores Jeremy." She cleared her throat. "I wasn't interrupting anything important, was I?"

April shook her head. "No, you weren't. I was just looking at the bulletin board. In fact, before you came, I had just found this flyer that was posted by this photographer who has a studio nearby. He and his partners are looking for models for their next shoot and I was going to tear off the slip with the number on it so that when I get back to the room, Elena, Caroline and I can give him a call."

"What's his name?"

April looked at the flyer. "It says his name is Matt Donovan. His partners are Damon Salvatore and Klaus Mikaelson."

"Wait, I think I know him," Anna said. "Jeremy and I hired him to do our wedding photos."

"He did?" April asked. "That's awesome."

"I know, right?" Anna said. "You couldn't have picked a better photographer. Also, I saw Damon and Klaus at the wedding, because, you know, they usually go to events and stuff together unless they have their own things to attend. Let me tell you, they're pretty hot."

"Really?" April asked. "Well, Elena and Caroline would love to hear that." Curiously, she added, "Which reminds me, does Elena know you're here?"

"No, I wanted to surprise her," Anna said. "Jeremy and I were sorting through the pictures and we found some that Elena and Caroline would like. Of course, we chucked the ones that they didn't exactly look the best in."

"Well, she'll definitely be surprised, no question about it," April said. "Say, did you want to come up with me?"

Anna nodded. "Sure. Lead the way." Before heading to the building where the girls lived together, April remembered to tear off the slip of paper from the flyer and followed along with Anna's quick, even strides as they headed toward the right building. As soon as the two girls were inside the building, where it was nice and toasty compared to the bitter cold outside, they began to divest themselves of their coats and hats, hanging them up on the coat rack in the downstairs lobby. April began jogging up the stairs in front of Anna, and they made it a race, eventually stopping when they saw the tie on the door.

"Oh, this is great! Lockwood is here, which means that we'll have to go back downstairs," April grumbled.

"I heard that!" the two girls heard from inside, before the door was all but wrenched open to reveal Caroline in nothing but her current boyfriend's shirt and his boxers, as well. Tyler Lockwood appeared behind her, a grin spotted instantly on his face.

His smile turned into a frown when he saw who April had brought up with her, not wanting to get into the middle of 'girl talk'. "Babe, I'm going to give you some time alone with the girls. I'll call you later," he said. She tried to grasp his hand to keep him from leaving her alone, but he moved back into the bedroom to get dressed. Caroline turned around and gave the other girls a red-eyed glare, and April returned it softly before moving past the blonde, with Anna following behind her.

Anna bit her lip, thinking that she had done something wrong by coming her today. "Caroline, I'm sorry. I didn't know Tyler was going to be here," she says to the blonde.

April, of course, wasn't the least bit sorry. She never liked Tyler to begin with, thinking that Caroline was going to get hurt if she continued to date him. In fact, she knew something about Tyler that Caroline didn't yet. The other day, she had seen him locking lips with Hayley Gardner. She wanted to confront the bastard right then and there, but opted to bite her tongue and keep it quiet. It was better that Caroline find out for herself anyway.

Caroline sighed and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Anna. We were finishing up anyway," she says to the newlywed. She glanced at April and then back at Anna. "So, what brings you by here?"

"Jeremy and I found some wedding pictures that you and Elena might like," Anna said. "We threw the embarrassing ones out, of course."

"Thank you," Caroline said. "I was wondering when we were going to get them. Elena will be back from her Algebra class in an hour, and I'll show them to her."

April cleared her throat, deciding to change the subject before things got too weird. "Oh, and before I forget, I saw this flyer downstairs. You remember the photographer that was at Anna and Jeremy's wedding? Matt Donovan? Well, it turns out that he needs models for his next shoot. Well, he and his partners do. Anyway, I got the number and I thought we'd call later and find out what this entails."

Caroline blinked at that, the earlier scene forgotten. "When does this little session take place? I need to know so I can tell Elena," she tells April.

"That's why I got the number," April said. "We can call and find out."

"Well, you know I'm definitely in," Caroline said. "We haven't been to a decent shoot since the last one we did before the wedding."

"Maybe this one will be more than just decent," Anna said. "Matt and his partners do awesome work, as you'll see when you open the photo packet."

Caroline nodded. She was definitely curious, that was for sure. Hell, she was curious enough to overlook what happened earlier. Once Elena arrived home an hour later on the dot, the four girls sat down on the couch with four glasses of water in their hands, and giggles were soon heard from the outside and even going as loud as to be heard downstairs as they all looked through the pictures. Things like, "Oh my goodness, Anna, you look so beautiful!" and "He's covered in cake!" could be heard through the giggles, and once all the pictures had been looked through, Anna decided to head home to her husband and left the three girls to decide on whether or not to make the phone call now or in the morning.

April made the decision for the girls when she yawned rather loudly and finally hopped off to her room, immediately settling into her nice warm bed once her head was firmly planted into the pillows and falling asleep right away.

**The Next Day**

April went to her first class then took a chance and called the photographer she'd decided to 'assign' herself personally. She sat down on the bench that was outside her first class' building once she got out then held firmly onto the piece of paper in her hand so it didn't blow away while her shaky fingers began dialing the number on it.

Klaus Mikaelson heard the phone ring as he poured himself some tea. Not sure who might be calling, he checked the Caller ID and saw April's cell number on it. Deciding not to keep her waiting for someone to pick up, he picked up the phone and cleared his throat before placing the phone to his ear. "Donovan Photography Studio. How may I assist you, love?" he asked her.

April heard the proper British voice on the other end and tried to keep from literally melting as she said, "Hi. This is April Young. I'm actually looking for Matt Donovan. Is he there by any chance?"

Klaus heard the door opening and closing and looked to see Matt walking in. "Hold on, love, I just saw him walk in," he told April. He placed the phone down and said to the younger man, "Matt, this phone call is for you, mate."

Matt raised an eyebrow. "Who is it?"

"A girl by the name of April Young," Klaus said. "She's on hold. She sounds delightful."

Matt nodded at Klaus before heading over to the desk and picking up the phone. "Hello?" he asked.

"Hi, is this Matt? This is April Young. Your partner sounded very … proper," April said with a small, soft laugh.

Matt could feel himself getting hard just by her voice and the sound of her laughter through the phone. "Yeah, that's Klaus for you. He's British, so being proper goes with the territory," Matt said. "So, how can I help you, April?"

On her end, April bit down on her lip gently. "Well, your flyer said that you were looking for models for your next shoot," April said. "It just so happens that my friends and I are models and we'd like to volunteer. In fact, I wouldn't mind having you." Realizing what she had just said, she quickly added, "As my photographer, I mean."

Matt laughed slightly. "It's okay, I knew what you meant. Anyway, how about you and your friends come by the studio and we can work something out? Would 5:00 be good for you?"

"It's good for me, but I'll have to check with my friends to see what their schedules are, since theirs are different from mine," April said. "I look forward to seeing you, Matt."

"You too, April," Matt said. "Thanks for calling."

"Bye," April said huskily before she hung up and squealed, not giving a fuck if she got incredulous stares from the other students that walked by.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**5:00 PM**

April inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm herself as she arrived at Matt's studio at the appointed hour. Elena and Caroline had adjusted their schedules so that they could accompany her, excited about their next adventure, and curious about the photographers they were going to be assigned to. April, of course, couldn't get Matt out of her head. At least not his voice, since she had yet to meet him in person.

Caroline noticed her friend's behavior. "You okay there, April? You're hyperventilating."

April exhaled before replying, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh, bullshit, you're not fine," Caroline said. "You're obviously nervous about something." She raised a curious eyebrow. "Could it have anything to do with why we're here?"

April was about to reply but Elena spoke for her. "Caroline, leave her alone. If she doesn't want to tell us, she doesn't want to tell us."

April smiled at the brunette, grateful for the rescue. Once she was sure she was ready, she got out of the car, Caroline and Elena following her, and when they got to the door, she knocked and after a few minutes, she came face to face with perhaps the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen.

"Hey there," he said. "April, right? Matt Donovan. We spoke on the phone."

_Oh yeah, he was even sexier when she could put a face to the voice,_ she thought to herself. "Nice to meet you," April said. "These are my friends, Elena and Caroline. They adjusted their schedules so that they could come with me."

As she spoke, April tried not to notice just how built Matt's body was. Sweet mother of God, he looked like he played football rather than take pictures. She also wondered if he had also modeled, because a body like that belonged on the cover of Sports Illustrated, or even GQ.

Matt stepped back and let the three girls enter. All three were beautiful, but April stood out the most for him. He'd kill to have her naked with him in his bed, but he told himself to take things slow. After all, he didn't know if she already had a boyfriend.

**One Hour Later**

After much heated discussion, Caroline and Elena finally agreed to do the photo shoot with their respective photographers, Klaus and Damon Salvatore. They told April they'd see her later, and told her not to be late for class the next day and go blaming them because of her own tardiness. Matt noticed how they affectionately kissed the top of her head before they left and couldn't help but smile at the curly-haired brunette once they were gone. "You three are obviously close," he commented to her quietly.

April nodded, feeling the timbres of his voice dance along her spine and making her shiver with quiet delight. "We have been friends since junior high, and consider each other sisters. Since I've got the last birthday among us, I'm considered the 'baby' of the group," she tells him. She can feel his breath on her face as he leans closer to her, but notices right away that he's reaching for something that is on the opposite side of her and she immediately gives him the item before feeling her face heat up at his intense stare.

Matt noticed that her face was red, smiling at her. "Are you blushing?"

April felt her face with her hand. "Oh my God, I am. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Matt said. "It's actually kind of cute. And I can empathize with you. Klaus, Damon and I all have siblings between us. I have a sister named Vicki. Of course, she's always off doing God only knows what, so I rarely see her anymore. Damon has a brother named Stefan, who incidentally is dating Klaus' sister, Rebekah. You can imagine the drama there. Top that with the four surviving brothers he has: Elijah, Kol, Finn and Henrik and that's dysfunction central."

April blinked at that. "My goodness. All those siblings between the three of you? Kind of makes me a bit jealous, being an only child and everything," she said. She caught herself rambling. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to ramble. I get excited easily."

"Hey, relax; its okay. It happens to the best of us sometimes."

April smiled. "Glad someone here understands." She laughed slightly. "I think I'm going to have a lot of fun doing this shoot, Matt. If you could do great work with Jeremy and Anna's wedding pictures, I'd imagine you'd make these turn out just as good."

"Shouldn't be a problem with three lovely models helping us out," Matt said. "I know Klaus and Damon are going to enjoy it. They couldn't keep their eyes off your friends the whole time they were here. Klaus was definitely intrigued with Caroline and I could tell that Damon was itching to do more than just take Elena's picture."

**A Few Days Later**

Within a few days time, April found herself feeling something for Matt that she hadn't felt since her relationship with Dean Collins had ended during her freshman year of college. She had thought they would last forever, even Caroline and Elena and her parents thought so, but then she caught him in bed with Hayley's younger sister, Adrianna, on the night of their 4 year anniversary, close to prom. April had been devastated and ended up choosing a college as far away from Mystic Falls as possible, refusing to spend another minute there, where the memories would only stick around of her and Dean. She was lost in her thoughts about her ex-boyfriend when she heard a voice from the past cutting into them, and she gasped when she saw him right in front of her. April turned quickly away from him, walking faster than she had done in a while. "Go away, Dean, I have NO desire to talk to you," she tossed over her shoulder, knowing that he was attempting to catch up with her long, even strides that was taking her as far away from him as possible.

As expected, Dean followed after April, trying desperately to keep up with her. "Come on, April, you can't still be holding that grudge against me because I slept with Adrianna Gardner, are you? She meant nothing to me."

April turned around at that. "Apparently, I meant nothing to you either if you chose that little bitch over me. She can have you, because we're over! We've been over since that night!"

"But, it wasn't my fault," Dean said. "She seduced me, not the other way around."

"Yeah, and I'm reincarnated Princess Diana," April said. "I don't buy it, Dean. I didn't then, and I sure as hell don't buy it now, so don't even try it." As she completed that statement, April didn't stop walking, just kept going as fast as she could. She still heard Dean following her, rolling her eyes. Honestly, could this guy not take a hint? "Dean Collins, I'm serious. If you don't leave me alone, I swear to God that I'll call campus security. You don't even go to school here!"

A small card was eventually put in front of her face and she paused to read it. "According to that little card, I am now," he said with a smirk. She groaned then spotted Matt behind him, smiling as she brushed past him and went up to the photographer, immediately grabbing the back of his head, and pulling it down until their lips were barely touching.

"Do you see that guy back behind us?" she asked softly and he nodded after quickly seeing the dark-haired guy she was referring to. "That is my ex-boyfriend, Dean, and I need him to think that I've moved on." Matt nodded again then placed one hand at her hip under her coat, and she hissed quietly when she felt his hand sneaking up under her blouse to touch the skin of her stomach before using the other to cradle her head at the back of it. Then he pulled her closer to him, his lips velvety soft and sinfully sexy as they connected with hers.

Dean saw what April was doing. "April, what the hell are you doing?"

Matt looked up and smirked at the loser. "What's it look like, genius? She's showing you that she's moved on. Why don't you go see if Adrianna wants to play with you, because April's not interested?"

Dean was at a loss for words. The evidence was right there in front of him: April had moved on. He had come to this school to be close to her, possibly get her to forgive him, but some other guy, this photographer had staked his claim, and there was nothing he could really do about it. "Fine, flaunt your new relationship in front of me," he said. "But, you'll be begging me to take you back if you find out he's only in it for the sex."

April didn't look at him as she flipped her middle finger at him. "Take a hike, Dean." Dean went to speak, but nothing came out. Then, with a disgusted scoff, he walked away, cursing Matt under his breath. After he was gone, April kept her eyes locked on Matt's as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk together, locked in an embrace.

"So, I know we weren't supposed to have an appointment today, but I had some free time, and I wanted to get in a photo op, with you, if you're up for it," he said softly against her lips. She nodded eagerly, ready to go anywhere with him, and took his hand when he held it out for her. The two of them walked down the side walk hand in hand, and April swore she had never felt safe than when she was with the man beside her. Within half an hour, they had arrived at his studio, where he pulled out a sheet that came from a bed, and although she was hesitant about what it was for, she took it. "I thought we could start with some of you wearing that." She gulped, her eyes barely looking at him.

"Wearing only this?" she asked aloud. She was suddenly feeling very nervous about being alone with him … in his studio … wearing only the sheet, and wondering what might happen next. She felt her face heating like it had done a few nights before when they were here, alone, and closed her eyes, not even noticing when he stepped closer until his breath was ghosting along the skin of her face. April felt herself swaying towards him, and then let her fingers drop the sheet onto the floor. Then she opened her eyes to look into his melting pots of blue, her hands reaching up to push him back a few feet before going back to the buttons of her coat, letting it drop onto the floor. Leaning down to pick up the sheet, she tells him quietly, "I'll be right back to change and then we can get started, okay?"

Matt nodded and waited until she had disappeared into the first room to start setting up for their first photo shoot.

April stepped into the bathroom and exhaled as she looked in the mirror. "You can do this, April. Think of it as the opportunity to really show Dean how strong you've gotten. This is the best kind of revenge."

A smile creeping across her face after that little pep talk she gave herself, April got undressed. The thing that was making this easy for her at the moment was not only did she get to look into Matt's gorgeous eyes the whole time, but also the thought of really showing Dean Collins that she was a new woman and that she was truly embracing the future.

She then wrapped the sheet around her and opened the bathroom door, walking out into the studio, where Matt was just about finished setting up. "I'm ready." _For this and more,_ her thoughts added.

Matt turned from setting up the camera and felt all of the blood in his veins pool southward, at the sight of her dark curls loose over the creamy skin of her shoulders. She'd tied a knot in the sheet at where her collarbone met her breasts and he swore she'd never looked more beautiful. He moved towards her, and held out a hand for her to take. "I've, um, I've set up a chaise lounge for you to use," he said with slight hesitance, bringing her over to where he'd set it up in the middle of the background sheet he used for his photos. For that, he'd picked a kind of dusty brown background, to bring out her looks; it made better sense to contrast it from her dark hair.

April smiled at Matt's hesitance. She found it quite adorable. In fact, she found everything about him adorable, though she found his eyes and body sexy.

Once he led her over to the chaise lounge, April sat down and then positioned herself on it. "How's this?"

"Don't move, that's perfect," Matt said then went over to the camera. "Okay, keep your eyes on me and smile."

April didn't have to be told twice. She smiled and kept her eyes directly on Matt as he snapped the first picture. Her earlier nervousness faded away and the only thing that mattered to her in that moment was Matt and their private session. Oh, she could just see the looks on Elena and Caroline's faces when she told them about this later. They'd be jealous at first, but that would change once they saw the photos. Then, they'd marvel at how much her beauty was brought out.

**Author's Note:** I hope that you all are enjoying this new fan fiction. It may not be my first collaboration, but like I'd mentioned in the first chapter, it is my first with someone who knows the ins and outs of Vampire Diaries. The next chapter will wrap up the photo shoot before moving on to C&K, for your reading pleasure!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** The part with Caroline catching Tyler with Hayley was written all by Erin … Credit goes to my lovely co-writer!

**Chapter Three**

**Donovan Photography Studio – Several Hours Later**

April sat in the chaise lounge while Matt brought the laptop over to her so she could see most of the pictures he had taken of her, feeling her insides turn to mush once again at how close he was to her, even with the laptop between them. Her gaze went to the screen when he had the photos up and she felt her face grow into a smile when she saw how great she looked. "Well, I think Anna was right about hiring you, Matt," she said as she looked up at him. "You have done a wonderful job with these photos." Matt blushed and April reached up to poke his cheek. "Mr. Photographer is blushing, how about that?" she teased him, not expecting for the next blur of movement to happen.

But it did. He had set aside the laptop then pulled her into his lap, the sheet draping over the jeans he wore until she was straddling him in the chair in which he sat. "I know it's going to be very forward of me, but I don't care," he said in a low tone before pulling her flush against him and pressing his mouth to hers, their tongues instantly greeting each other in the beginning of their sensually erotic tango. Shifting, Matt moved out of the chair and followed her onto the chaise lounge, hissing against her lips when he felt her nimble fingers pull his shirt up a little, tugging as hard as she could to free it from his jeans.

**xoxoxo**

**THAT SAME MOMENT** ...

Caroline headed toward Tyler's dorm room, clutching her coat. She wasn't wearing anything underneath it, having taken her clothes off in her room. As she approached the door, she heard laughter, as well as soft, sensual music, coming from the other side of the door. Not sure what was going on, Caroline went to knock and the laughter she heard before seemed to increase, as well as a girl's voice saying, "Oh, Tyler!"

Caroline blinked at this. Tyler had a girl with him in his dorm room? Of all the nerve! Who the hell did he think he was, telling her he loved her and then sleep with some hussy? Oh, he wasn't going to get away with this; that was for sure. Summoning up some superhuman strength that she didn't know she had, Caroline kicked the door off its hinges, scaring both Tyler and the girl he was cheating on her with. It didn't take her too long to recognize her either. It was Hayley Gardner, the older sister of the girl that slept with April's ex, Dean, on prom night.

"Tyler Lockwood, just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Tyler tried to look innocent, but was failing miserably. "Caroline, it's not what it looks like."

"You lying bastard! I can't believe you would do this to me!" Caroline was bordering on hysteria and didn't care if the other students in the building heard her. "Last night, you told me that you loved me and that you'd never give me a reason to doubt you. Today, I find out that you're sleeping with Hayley the Harlot!"

"Caroline, calm down," Tyler said. "Everyone in the building will hear you."

"So? Let them hear me, they should know that Tyler Lockwood is a horn-dog," Caroline said. "In fact, Hayley can keep you because I don't want you anymore." She ripped the locket he had given her off her neck. "It's over, do you hear me? It's over! I NEVER want to see you again!"

Then, not giving Tyler a chance to talk, Caroline stormed out of the room, ignoring the tears that flowed down her face.

**xoxoxo**

Matt groaned as April pulled his shirt up out of his jeans and then threw it on the floor. When he felt her going toward the button and zipper of his jeans, he groaned again. "Oh God, April, you're so beautiful. You have no idea how much I want you right now."

April smiled, but before she could answer him, she heard her cell phone ringing. "Shit, not now," she sighed out. "Excuse me, okay?" Matt nodded and April went to the bathroom and found her phone. She looked at the ID screen and when she saw Caroline's number, not sure why her friend was calling and not wanting to leave her hanging, she pressed SEND and put the phone to her ear. "Caroline?"

"April, where are you?" Caroline asked from the other end.

"At Matt's studio," April said. "Why? What's going on?"

A sob was heard then Caroline said, "I broke up with Tyler. I caught him cheating on me with … with Hayley Gardner!"

April was tempted to say 'I told you so', but because she didn't want to upset the blonde anymore than she was already. "Oh God, Caroline, I'm sorry. Look, I'll be right there, just try to calm down and wait for me." Sighing, April then hung up and returned to the studio, where Matt was looking at her. "I'm sorry, Matt. Caroline just broke up with her boyfriend and she's really upset. I have to get back to the dorm. Think we can take a rain check on what we were about to do?"

Matt nodded. "It's okay. I understand. Caroline needs you." He smiled. "I did have fun, though."

April smiled. "I did too." She went over to kiss him. "Maybe we can do something this weekend, if you're free."

Matt nodded and kissed her back. Before the kiss got too persistent, April pulled away and went back to the bathroom to get into her clothes again and pulled on her coat. After saying good-bye to Matt, she hurried out the door.

**Forbes/Gilbert/Young Apartment/Dorm Room, Several Hours Later**

"Men suck," Caroline said between bites of ice cream. April and Elena were on either side of her, holding their own favorite carton of ice cream. "Seriously, why were they invented, if all they do is cheat?"

While April could sympathize a little with her, since she had gone through the same thing with Dean, she knew that Elena had yet to have that experience. "Caroline, I think we should have girls' night out," the other brunette suggested quietly.

Caroline nodded slowly, and April knew she wasn't really ready. But she also knew that her friend really, really needed it. "I think Elena is right. And I think it has to be right now," April said determinedly. She took her ice cream carton into the kitchen and put it away before dashing off to her bedroom to pick something out. She knew her two friends and roommates had joined her, because she turned and smiled at them both as they sat down on the edge of the bed. "Elena, I think this would look great on you." April held up a simple olive green dress with tie-straps. "And, Caroline, for you, I think this would be great." She held aside the dress for Elena and showed Caroline a fire-engine red strapless dress.

"Where did you get those?" Caroline inquired as she got up to take the red dress.

"From a very persistent friend of ours," April said secretively. Rebekah Mikaelson Salvatore was what she would call the sister none of them had, even though Elena had a brother already and had gained a sister in law the previous summer. "Put them on. They are yours now."

Caroline looked at the dress and, even though she didn't know why Rebekah had given them away, she decided not to refuse. After all, she might find a hot guy to dance with and take her mind off the evil known as Tyler Lockwood. "Well, if Rebekah thinks this will look great on me, I see no harm in wearing it."

She quickly went to the bathroom to change into the dress. Elena looked at the olive green dress. It was pretty, and it definitely seemed appropriate for what April was suggesting they do tonight. Caroline returned a few minutes later, the red dress making her look like a sultry vixen. Elena smiled at the blonde before heading into the bathroom to change into her dress. Caroline then looked at April.

"You're the best, April," she said. "I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you, but I'm glad you're my friend."

"Don't mention it," the brunette replied. "You need to clear your head and have some fun. You loved going to parties and dances. And you were Miss Mystic Falls, which was definitely awesome."

Elena walked in at that moment, wearing her dress. "What do you think?"

"You look great," Caroline said. "Rebekah certainly has great taste if she gave us these dresses."

April smiled, knowing her plan was working a little bit. "And for me, I picked this dress," she told her friends, moving back to her closet to pull out a navy blue creation that was similar to the one worn by Andie in 'Step Up 2: the Streets'. She headed off to the bathroom and got into her dress, coming back after pulling her hair out of her face. "What do you think of it?"

She was confused when Caroline and Elena both stepped up to her and pulled the clips from her hair. "We think you look better with your hair down," they told her in unison.

Although she was hesitant about that, she saw Matt's face in her mind and knew he would probably say the same thing. "Let's go," she tells them. "I want to take you to Rebekah and Stefan's new club that just opened. They invited us for opening night, which isn't until the weekend, but they're giving us a sneak peek."

They both nodded and grabbed their purses and cell phones, remembering their coats to wear over their dresses, since it was still cold. Before climbing into the car, she sent a text message to Matt: 'We're going to the new club owned by Klaus' sister and her husband. Come find us!' She pressed SEND then climbed into the driver's seat and started the car.

**Club Salvatore – That Same Moment…**

Damon Salvatore stood by the bar, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He had been personally invited to the grand opening of his brother and sister-in-law's new club. Klaus joined him, preferring champagne to bourbon, even though Damon knew that he drank it on occasion.

"What do you think of the club so far?"

Damon looked at Klaus. "Honestly? I think it's a waste of money. I was against the thing from the get-go." He poured the bourbon down his throat before looking at Klaus. "And deep down, I know you think the same way I do."

"I do, actually," Klaus said. "Then again, Rebekah is stubborn and fought me the whole way, telling me that it's her life and she could do whatever she wants. And quite frankly, I was also against her marrying your brother. I told her that she'd be disgracing the Mikaelson name by marrying a Salvatore." He saw the look Damon was giving him and said, laughing, "Relax, mate, I was kidding about the last part. I think Stefan is a wonderful young man."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Damon said. "I was prepared to kick your ass if you were serious, because even though Stefan has done things that I didn't particularly like in the past, the current thing being investing in this stupid club, he's still my brother and I'm forced to put up with him for the rest of my life and his." Suddenly, Damon looked toward the door and saw three girls walking in. At first, he didn't know who they were, but then, he recognized them. "Hey, Klaus, aren't those the girls that are doing that shoot with us?"

"You're right, they are," Klaus said. "Wonder what they're doing here?"

"Don't know, but I'm going to find out," Damon said. "Come on, let's go say hello."

He left his place at the bar and went over to where April, Caroline and Elena had just checked their coats. Damon smiled at them. "Well, well, fancy meeting you lovely ladies here. I take it you received an invitation as well?"

April nodded in response to his question. "Yes. We did. Rebekah invited us," she tells him. She turns when she hears another voice at the door and smiles at Matt as he comes inside. Once he gets his coat checked, she tugs on his arm and pulls him towards the bar. "We'll leave you four to discuss your photo shoots!"

Matt allowed her to drag him toward the bar, but stopped her halfway there. "I got your text message, beautiful," he said before pulling her flush against him to kiss her beautiful lips. He let his hands caress her body over the soft material of the dress she wore then pulled back. "You look beautiful in that dress, but I'm afraid it's going to have to come off." He was whispering that in her ear and she let a shiver escape her, before reaching down for his hand at her waist, pulling him towards the back room, their eyes never leaving each other.

Of course, her friends noticed right away where she was going, having still stood at the entrance with the guys. "She's about to get lucky," Elena whispered to Caroline as they stood close together, huddling against the cold that swept in unexpectedly with every patron that came into the club.

Damon noticed how cold the girls looked, and taking off his jacket, he placed it around Elena's shoulders before saying, "Come on; let's get you ladies to a warmer spot." He held out his hand for Elena. "It's okay, I won't bite."

Elena smiled shyly and nodded, taking his hand. "Thank you."

Damon returned the smile and led her away from the door, over to where he had been before they walked in. Klaus, having seen what Damon had done for Elena, took his jacket off and placed it around Caroline's shoulders and took her hand. "Come, sweetheart, let's get you in out of the cold. Wouldn't want a beautiful angel such as yourself to freeze, would we?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, that would be a shame." She cleared her throat. "Lead the way."

Klaus nodded and escorted the blonde further into the club, but instead of heading over to the bar, where Damon and Elena were, he opted to find a booth for them, letting her sit first before taking his seat. Seeing a waiter, he said, "Would you like me to order you a drink, love?"

"That would be great," Caroline said. "I'll get whatever you're getting."

Klaus nodded and said to the waiter, "A bottle of champagne, my good man."

The waiter nodded and walked away to take their order. Once he was gone, Klaus watched as Caroline took the jacket off, having gotten warm enough. God, she was a vision tonight and he felt himself getting hard at the sight of her, although he was fighting the urge to groan, telling himself to conduct himself as a gentleman. After all, he didn't want to scare her off.

**Author's Note 2:** Wow, six pages! That's pretty amazing, considering I try not to go over my limit of 5. I hope you enjoyed a 'hint' of Matt and April smut, and hope you'll come back soon for the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**_Previously in "Angels in a Centerfold", after the photo shoot they did together, Matt and April come close to making love before Caroline calls and interrupts them, explaining that she and Tyler have broken up after she caught him with Hayley._**

**Author's Note:** While Erin is 'new' to writing Matt & April, I think she's become a pro at writing them so far!

**Chapter Four**

**Club Salvatore – The Back Room**

Matt and April stumbled around the small room, clothes falling in every direction as they had one destination in mind: the bed in the farthest corner. Once he was down to his boxers and she in just her underwear, Matt gently embraced her as he followed her onto the lumpy mattress, kissing her tenderly. When he felt her tugging at the waistband of his tight black boxers, he assisted her with their removal, and once they were gone, he returned the favor, his fingers hooking into the side of her underwear, pulling them down and let them land in the same place as his boxers. His hands caressed down her arms until he linked their fingers together, lifting them above her head. Then he was thrusting gently into her, withdrawing before thrusting again. Once they had begun establishing a rhythm, Matt let her hands go and moved his down to her hips, squeezing gently. April let her hands caress over the upper part of his body and anywhere she could reach, her teeth, lips and tongue moving fervently over his neck and face, before he finally captured her mouth with his. When April felt herself getting close, Matt reached down between them and pinched the bundle of nerves between his thumb and forefinger while her fingernails dug none too gently into the area just between his shoulder blades.

**Out in the Club**

Damon watched what was going on at the booth and smiled. He knew that Klaus had been fascinated with Caroline from the moment he met her and that he would use this opportunity to get to know her. He then shifted his focus back to Elena, who was nursing a glass of bourbon he had ordered for her.

"You're awfully quiet," he said. "Anything you wish to share?"

Elena looked up from the glass and looked at Damon, her heart hammering as she met his blue eyes. They were like twin orbs of icy flame and they seemed to be burning through to her soul. "Hmmm? Oh, uh, nothing really. I'm just taking everything in."

Damon was about to ask her again when he heard music playing at the DJ and turned to look at her again. "Would you like to dance?"

Elena didn't know what to say to that, so she just nodded and let him lead her out onto the dance floor, where he pulled her close to him as they moved to the beat. Looking over his shoulder, Elena saw Klaus and Caroline coming out onto the floor as well. Good, at least Caroline was going to have a good time tonight and the horrible break-up with Tyler was going to be nothing but a bad, distant memory.

Out on the dance floor, the DJ had just switched to a slow song, and Klaus was holding Caroline closer than he did when they were dancing to a fast song earlier. He had to admit, she certainly knew how to dance. Her moves were so elegant and he was having a bit of trouble keeping up with her. "You're quite the dancer, love."

Caroline smiled at him. "I had training. I was Miss Mystic Falls."

"No wonder you move so elegantly," Klaus said. "You must've aced the dance portion of it." He cleared his throat, changing the subject as he looked at her dress. "You look ravishing in that dress. Red is definitely your color."

"You can thank your sister for that," Caroline said. "She was the one who graciously donated it."

"I'll definitely thank her." Klaus then noticed that Caroline's facial expression changed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing that you'd be interested in hearing," Caroline replied softly.

"On the contrary, sweetheart, I would like to hear it," Klaus said. "Something is troubling you and I want to know.

Caroline sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to let up until she told him. "I broke up with my boyfriend. I invested two years into him and what does he do to thank me? Goes and sleeps with some hussy named Hayley Gardner. I thought he loved me, you know? Then, I find him in bed with someone else." She sighed again. "God, I'm so pathetic."

"You are not pathetic, far from it," Klaus said. "Obviously, he was a fool to treat you that way. If you ask me, he should be neutered…while conscious."

Caroline found it difficult not to laugh at what Klaus just said, mostly because she agreed with him.

Meanwhile, Matt and April returned from their quick 'roll in the hay' to find Caroline smiling for the first time since her break-up and Elena warming slowly up to Damon. April turned to Matt and gave him a secretive grin. "I'll be right back. It's time to move things up a notch," she tells him before rushing off towards the DJ's booth.

On the floor, Elena was finding it difficult not to melt as she looked into Damon's eyes as they danced. To be honest, she never felt like this before in her life. She then looked away for a second and saw that Caroline was having a great time dancing with Klaus. Her focus was then taken off them when she saw April heading towards the DJ's booth. "Damon, April's going to the DJ's booth," she mentioned softly.

Damon looked toward the DJ's booth and saw the other brunette. "So she is. Wonder what she's up to?"

"I have no idea," Elena said. "But, knowing April, I think she wants to really get this party going."

April got up to the DJ's booth and knocked on the glass window of the door. When the DJ turned around, she nearly gawked when she realized it was actually Elijah Mikaelson, Rebekah's and Klaus' brother. He waved her in anyway, and she turned the knob before stepping inside. "Hey, Elijah, I'd like to make a request," she tells him with a smile.

"Sure, darling, what would you like to hear?" he asked as he returned her smile. Moving closer, April whispered the request in his ear and stepped back once more to watch his face light up into a grin at the request she'd made. "Alright, everyone, are you feeling a little footloose? Well, here's a little request for those of you that are!"

April left the booth before running as quickly as she could back down the stairs to where Matt waited for her, grinning as she leapt into his arms. "Let's go dance, Mr. Photographer," she said into his ear. He nodded and moved with her onto the dance floor, as Kenny Loggins' song Footloose was soon heard throughout the club.

Klaus laughed when he heard what Elijah was saying and turned to Caroline. "Are you ready to get footloose, love?"

Caroline nodded. "You bet I am."

That being said, the two of them began to move to the beat.

Elsewhere, Damon and Elena were making some moves of their own. Elena couldn't help but laugh as she saw how creative Damon was getting with his dancing. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that he was showing off and trying to impress her. If that was the case, he was doing a damn good job of it.

Then, somewhere in the middle of the dance, Damon saw most of the people moving to the outside of the dance floor, giving him an idea as he looked at Elena with a mischievous grin. "Want to see something really fun?"

Elena was about to say no when he took both of her hands in his and began to spin all around. To her, it was like that scene from Titanic where Jack and Rose were attending a party in the steerage section of the ship and Jack had gotten a little playful while they were dancing together.

Caroline and Klaus watched from their position and Caroline rolled her eyes at what Damon was doing. "Oh my God, tell me he did not just do that."

"Indeed he is," Klaus said. "Unfortunately, Damon is a bit of a show off when it comes to the ladies. He's reserved at work, but you get him into a social setting, watch out."

Elena, meanwhile, was still flabbergasted that Damon was actually doing this. "Damon, stop, you're going to get us both dizzy and I don't want to throw up all over this obviously shiny floor."

Then, as quickly as Damon's little stunt had started, it stopped and before Elena knew what was happening, she felt her lips collide with his in a deep and passionate kiss that threw her for a loop. When the shock wore off, she returned the kiss, even though she was dizzy as hell from what happened.

From their spot near the bar, April and Matt cuddled and watched their friends all together, and April felt proud when she saw Damon pulling Elena into a kiss. She cheered to herself internally for what she had accomplished for the night. Then the real trouble began. Caroline and Klaus had gone back to their booth for a few more private moments when suddenly, out of nowhere, a woman that was an exact resemblance to Elena comes stomping up to the booth and begins a catfight with Caroline. "Oh no, we should go help them," April suggested to Matt, who nodded in agreement and went over to help her friend.

Klaus got in between the two girls and tore them apart. Once that was accomplished, the other woman gave him a stern look. "What the hell do you think you're doing with her, Nik? Am I suddenly not good enough for you?"

"For your information, Tatiana," he replied. "This is not your concern! I severed all ties with you when we broke up last year! You have no right to be jealous!"

The other woman, Tatiana, growled at him. "No right? No right? You have some nerve talking to me like that, Nik!"

Caroline growled as well. Her hair was a mess and her make-up was slightly smudged. "Are you deaf or something, bitch? This doesn't concern you!" She saw April and Matt approaching and said, "Oh, thank God, reinforcements have showed up. April, help me out here. This bitch is trying to ruin my date."

"Ruin your date?" Tatiana screeched. "You forget that Nik was mine before he even knew you existed!"

And she lunged herself at Caroline once more, before Elijah himself was interfering. "Tatiana, maybe you should cool yourself down for a little bit," he said sternly, pulling her away by her elbow. He was the only one who could actually tell the difference between the women that resembled the young girl that had accompanied Damon Salvatore tonight.

Klaus looked at Caroline after Tatia was led away by Elijah, feeling guilty about what happened. "I'm so sorry, Caroline. I had no idea she was going to show up tonight."

Caroline shook her head. "No, it's okay, it wasn't your fault. If anything, it was her fault for not being over you. Obviously, your ex has problems. Why did you date her anyway?"

"Because I thought I loved her, like you thought you loved the boy that broke your heart," Klaus said. "Tatia was very possessive, and that was why I ended things with her."

"Guess that makes us the same, huh?" Caroline said. "We both thought we loved our exes." She took his hand. "Thankfully, you have such a great brother who came to our rescue like that."

**Author's Note 2:** I know, I know. Three updates in THREE days? Must be a new thing for me. Well, it kind of is – I've never been this quick with updates before, but I'm a fast writer and can type really fast too, so it helps both ways!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thank you, Erin, for getting the reviews hopping! I wouldn't be able to do this without you, so thank you for joining me on this journey.

**Chapter Five**

**Club Salvatore – Outside**

Elijah got Tatia out to where the main bouncer was and stood close to the bulky ex-bodyguard. "This woman is not to be allowed into the club, is that understood?" he demanded softly. The bouncer nodded before Elijah turned on his heel to go back inside.

He was halfway there when he was suddenly pulled into the coat-check room by an arm that darted out of said room, one that was soon pulling his head down for a kiss. "I missed you, handsome," Katherine Pierce whispered against his lips.

Elijah smiled and returned her kiss. "And I missed you, naughty girl. What are you doing hiding back here, Katerina? I thought you were working tonight?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Katherine said. "I got an invitation from Rebekah, which gave me an excuse to play hooky." She kissed him again. "I take it the woman you threw out was an uninvited guest?"

"Unfortunately," Elijah said. "I'd have thought we'd have seen the last of Tatiana Petrova when Niklaus broke it off with her, but she was here trying to make trouble, which included getting into a fight with Niklaus' date, a friend of Rebekah's named Caroline Forbes. Thankfully, though, I was there to save the day."

Katherine smiled and kissed him again. "My hero," she whispered. "I guess Klaus will be thanking you for helping him get rid of his ex and salvaging the evening with the lovely Caroline?"

"Indeed." Elijah kissed her again and nibbled on her bottom lip.

She rubbed herself against him, moaning softly as his head lowered to bestow soft, nipping kisses along her neck. "Do you remember when we tried to set your brother and Caroline up on a blind date and it ended up being a complete disaster?" she asked him quietly as her hands caressed up and down his arms over the long-sleeve button-up shirt he wore.

He nodded as he came back up to capture her mouth with his. "I do indeed," he replied hoarsely.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Klaus sighed heavily as he sat at the bar, waiting for his blind date to arrive, cursing Elijah under his breath for this. Hadn't he mentioned that after the Tatia fiasco, he didn't want to deal with the female species ever again? Bad enough Elijah was dating a woman who looked like her, but thinking that he needed a woman after getting out of a bad relationship with someone who was possessive of him?_

_"I swear, Elijah," he said to himself. "When I get home, I'm going to wring your damn neck."_

_He waited and waited, and time seemed to tick by slowly. The blind date had been set up for 6:00, and it was already 6:30. The bitch was half an hour late. Just as he was about to give up and leave, he saw her walking in. If he wasn't fucked, he'd think she was beautiful. She had long blonde hair that was in soft curls that framed her face and wore a red dress with spaghetti straps._

_"Hi," she said. "You must be Klaus. Katherine told me about you. I'm Caroline and…"_

_"I don't care what your bloody name is," Klaus said. "You were half an hour late getting here!"_

_Caroline was indignant. "Excuse me, but I got lost on the way here. It's not my fault Katherine's directions sucked."_

_"You still should've been here half an hour ago," Klaus said. "You know what; I'm going to leave before I do something I'm going to regret. Caroline, you're beautiful, but I have no tolerance for tardiness."_

_Then, he walked out. Caroline watched him leave and growled. "Fine, go ahead and leave! See if I care, you stupid piece of British garbage!"_

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

Inside the club, Caroline and Klaus were having the same memory, their eyes meeting from across the booth. Instantly, Klaus was around to where Caroline sat, his hand lifting to caress her cheek before moving closer to her, finally lowering his head until their mouths had met. Sparks flew. There was no other way to describe it. His tongue brushed against the seam of her lips and asked for entrance and she immediately granted it to him, her free hand lifting to bring his head closer to hers, her tongue brushing along his as he deepened the kiss. When he parted their lips, only to lower his mouth to her neck, Caroline let her other hand come up and her fingers combed up into the curls on his head. "Klaus…"

Klaus brought his index finger to her lips, shushing her. "Shhh. Don't say anything, love. I know exactly what you want to say. I'm sorry for the way I acted when we first met. I was angry at Elijah and…"

Caroline smile and kissed his finger. "Apology accepted, Nik."

Klaus responded by kissing her again, this time a bit rougher and more passionately. She climbed into his lap, rubbing herself against him and he growled into the kiss, turning it carnal and demanding as his arms wrapped around her. Then he pulled away to look down at her. "What do you say we go back to my place and, um, have a night cap?"

She grinned then stepped away, rushing quickly to the door with him following behind her. At the bar, April and Matt looked at each other and grinned, happy that their friends were getting closer. April leaned over and brushed her nose over Matt's then kissed him softly before snuggling into his arms. "I think we are making the magic happen, don't you?" she asked softly.

"I think you may be right," he replied, his lips tenderly caressing the side of her head. He never thought he would find someone as amazing as April Young so soon after the loss of his true love, which he hadn't really brought up in conversation because he didn't want to scare her away this quickly. Klaus and Damon were the only ones who knew about Isabella Edwards; they kept their mouths shut because she had been like a sister to both of them. "April, if I tell you something, can you promise you won't be angry with me?"

April raised an eyebrow at him. "I won't get mad, Matt. Just tell me. I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

Matt sighed, wishing she hadn't said that. "I had a girlfriend before you. Her name was Isabella and I loved her very much. She died very tragically about a week after Klaus broke up with Tatia. He and Damon are the only ones who know about her and she was like a sister to them. I know I should've said something before, but I didn't want to scare you." Mat looked at April cautiously. "I'm sorry."

Turning around, April framed his face between her hands and made him look her in the eyes. "Don't apologize," she tells him with soft demand. "So what if you loved someone else before me? What matters now is that we're getting closer than we were when we first met. You didn't have to tell me about Isabella, Matt. It was obvious that you wanted it kept in the past, but I'm glad that you did tell me. She must have been very important in order for you to tell me." She pauses then brushes her lips over his once, twice before stepping back after the third brushing caress. "Was she from around here?"

Matt shook his head. "Actually, she was from Bulgaria. She and Tatia had moved here to the States to become models. That's how I met her. She was a very sweet and beautiful woman, just like you. She also knew that Tatia was possessive and advised Klaus to break things off. There was no way in hell she'd allow her to treat him like that. In fact, I'm grateful that Klaus has Caroline now. She's way different from Tatia and that is definitely a breath of fresh air for him." He took a breath. "I didn't mean to ramble like that."

April giggled then pulled him close. "Caroline obviously feels the same way about Klaus, because my eyes weren't deceiving me when I saw them rushing quickly out the door around, oh, five minutes ago," she tells Matt.

"And mine weren't either," he returned, turning her chin towards him so he could kiss the corner of her mouth.

**Klaus' Apartment – Half an Hour Later**

Klaus and Caroline stumbled around the living room, as her fingers released the buttons of his shirt to reveal a smooth chest.

Caroline licked her lips and ran her hands across his chest, kissing it gently. "Mmm, delicious; just like your accent," she said.

Klaus smiled and groaned as he felt her lips on his chest, reaching behind her to undo the zipper of her dress. "I'm glad you feel that way. I intend on treating you like the lady you are."

She gave him a smirk then waited until the dress was pooled on the floor to reach for his belt buckle, pulling him along with her towards the couch, not willing to go so far away into the bedroom. Caroline knelt on the couch, her breasts bouncing slightly underneath the material of her strapless bra as she moved around to get comfortable before she finally raked her hands over the rock-hard abs that belonged to Klaus as she concentrated on loosening the belt that held his jeans up. Once it was gone, Klaus growled low in his throat and gently pushed her down into the cushions, capturing her mouth with his and turning the kiss into the same one from before, at the club. With one hand, he reached up behind her back and unfastened the hooks with one go, lowering his head to the valley between her breasts, licking a trail between them both as she arched into him, her hands combing into the curls. "Klaus…fuck me," she said in a soft murmur. Her fingers tightened in his hair to pull him back up to her lips.

Klaus smiled against her lips, and not wanting to disappoint her, pulled her panties down before removing his jeans and boxers, plunging his throbbing member into her wet, hot core, groaning against her mouth as he began to thrust, slowly at first so that she could get used to him and then gradually picked up speed.

Caroline gyrated her hips in time with his thrusts, keeping in perfect sync with him. As they continued to move, all memory of Tyler was gone and it was only her and Klaus. Nothing else mattered except him. Personally, she thought Tatia was foolish to try and control him. It was high time that Klaus had a woman that would allow him to be himself and not make him act the way she wanted him to. In a way, that was sort of how Tyler acted with her. He was always forcing her to be a certain way whenever they were together. However, Klaus was nothing like that. He was a gentleman and knew just the words to say to make her laugh, like his comment about how Tyler should be neutered while conscious.

Suddenly, she felt herself getting closer to the edge and, taking her lips off of Klaus' for the moment, arched her back and let out a scream of pleasure. Klaus smiled at her and kissed her neck, feeling her throat vibrate against his lips before letting out a scream of his own half a beat later. God, how he loved this blonde angel in his arms. She was beautiful, sexy, and everything he wanted.

Once he pulled out of her, Klaus carried her over to the fireplace, grabbing the large afghan off the back of the sofa and draping it over them as he pulled her close. Her fingers traced random circles on his bare chest while his lips caressed her forehead in a soft, tender motion, his own fingers stroking up and down her bare arms. He felt like he had become complete when Caroline swept into his life, similar to that of a hurricane or a tornado, although nothing could compare to her wild and somewhat tame beauty.

Caroline sighed as she felt his fingers stroking up and down her arms. She kissed his chest again, tasting the sweat that had been there since their little romp on the couch. She was grateful that April had suggested they go out tonight.

"Thank you, Caroline."

Caroline looked up at him. "For what?" she asked.

"For coming into my life when I needed you," he replied. "You really are an angel."

Caroline laughed softly. "It was nothing really. Though, I think I should be thinking you. You helped me pick up the pieces of my broken heart."

"No need to thank me, sweetheart," Klaus said. "The fact that you're happy is all the thanks I need."

Caroline then noticed that his facial expression seemed to change. "Klaus, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied. "I want to tell you something, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone else."

"Okay," Caroline said. "What did you want to tell me? It's not bad, is it?"

"It's actually good," Klaus said. "You see, I've been accepted into a very prestigious art school."

"That's awesome, Klaus," Caroline said. "I'm so happy for you!" She blinked curiously. "If it's such good news, why did you look so serious when you told me? I would think you'd be happy as well."

"The only ones who know about it are Damon, Elijah and Rebekah. I haven't told Matt yet. This photo shoot he is doing is important to him and I don't want him to think I'm deserting him. I've sworn Damon to absolute secrecy, since he's one of the only ones who know, as I said before. It's not I can't afford it, because the money I've made can easily help with the tuition."

"Alright, I'll let you be the one to mention it to him, when the time is right," Caroline said as she sat up to push him down, climbing over him. Her breasts came into his view and he swore that had never seen anything more beautiful than the sight of them. His hands moved up from her waist until he was brushing the underside of them, his thumbs brushing across her pert nipples. "Want to go for a ride, Mr. Photographer?"

Klaus nodded and lowered his hands back down to her hips, gently putting her in place before thrusting up into her slick heat and groaning when she began to move over him, her blonde hair creating a curtain around their faces as she kissed him passionately, her tongue not shy at all as it brushed along his. Klaus locked his hand around a chunk of her blonde curls and kept her in place before moving his mouth to her neck, humming against her collarbone before his hand reached down between them and pinched the bundle of nerves with his thumb and forefinger. "Let go, Caroline," he whispered in her ear.

His words sent her catapulting over the edge quickly and she collapsed down against his chest, sated and spent and smiling the entire time. "You're amazing, Klaus," she whispered. He smiled to himself when he heard her words, knowing he was definitely a lucky man now that he had Caroline in his life.

**Author's Note 2:** Next week is my birthday, and I'm so excited, because it's a big milestone for me. I won't tell you how old I'm going to be; I'll let y'all guess it in your next reviews for this chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** All kinds of couples and flashbacks are happening in this chapter, and for the reference, Eleanor is my original female character, as well as Isabella Edwards (Matt's first girlfriend) and Adrianna Gardner. I know that Dean was never given a name on the show, so I gave him as well as Hayley one and gave Hayley a sister, who is played by Hunter Haley King. Also, you can picture Isabella as being played by Alexandra Chando, who starred opposite Zach (Matt) on now defunct daytime soap opera, As the World Turns and of course, Eleanor is being played by Yvonne Strahovski, who was on the now defunct NBC hit show, Chuck.

**Chapter Six**

**Club Salvatore – That Same Moment**…

Damon waited by the door to the ladies' room, having escorted Elena there because she had gotten nauseous after what he had done on the dance floor. He heard her throwing up from outside the door and cringed, the guilt eating at him. _Damn you, Damon,_ his mind scolded him. _Why the hell did you have to do that to her?_

No sooner did he complete this thought than Elena came out, still a bit sick, making him feel even guiltier. "Oh God, Elena, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I just wanted you to have a good time, that's all."

Instead of being upset about it, Elena smiled at him. "Damon, it's okay, you don't have to apologize. I had a great time, really I did. I've…never really danced like that before, and you actually helped me be adventurous for once."

"You're not upset with me?" Damon asked. "I would think that you'd never want to see me again after this."

"Of course I'm not upset," Elena said. "Why would I be upset? Damon, you shouldn't beat yourself up. Your heart was in the right place and I appreciate what you did." She carefully approached him and hugged him. "You're a great guy, Damon, and I really like you."

Damon returned her hug, his arms resting loosely at her waist. "You're welcome, Elena," he told her softly. "Are you up for some more fun?"

Elena smiled again. "Sure. Though, I think I should go easy on the dancing for now."

Damon nodded. "Good point. I think I have something better in mind." He stepped back and took her hand. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat, something light, preferably."

As they walked away from the restrooms, Elena couldn't help but get the feeling that she knew Damon from somewhere and before she could ask herself where and when, it dawned on her that she knew him from high school.

_**FLASHBACK - MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**_

_The cafeteria was bustling with activity as Elena walked in. She was wearing a blouse, plaid skirt, knee socks and Mary Jane shoes; complete with glasses on her eyes. She took a deep breath as she headed toward the table that her friend, Bonnie Bennett was sitting in. Bonnie wore a similar outfit to what Elena was wearing, only she wore sneakers instead of Mary Jane shoes. "Hey, Bonnie, sorry I'm late. Mr. Jordan called me down to the office and it took longer than I thought."_

_"No problem," Bonnie said as the brunette sat down. "Don't worry, you didn't miss much."_

_No sooner did Elena sit down than she caught sight of a guy walking in, his arms around the shoulders of two cheerleaders. He was obviously hot and the girls seemed to like him. Elena scowled at him and then looked at Bonnie. "Who's that guy?"_

_"That's Damon Salvatore, Mr. Hot Stuff," Bonnie said. "If I were you, I'd stay away from him, because he's got quite a reputation around her, especially when it comes to the girls. Rumor has it that he's slept with most of the cheerleaders on the Spirit Squad. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's gotten a few of them pregnant."_

_"He's that popular?"_

_"Oh, yes," Bonnie said. "He's definitely that popular, which is why you should stay away from him."_

_Elena nodded. "Sure."_

_Elena watched as Damon and the cheerleaders went to a table near the back of the room. While she didn't see what they saw in him, it was obvious that they found him attractive._

_**END OF FLASHBACK 1**_

_**FLASHBACK 2**_

_Damon was walking down the hallway with the same cheerleaders from lunch time, and noticed the dark-haired girl with glasses drooping down to her nose standing in front of her locker with a stack of books in her hands. She was struggling to hold onto her books while she opened the locker in front of her. Disentangling himself from the cheerleaders, Damon walked up to the girl and knocked gently into her. "Oh!" she said with a gasp, the books knocking out of her hands. She got down on her hands and knees and began to crawl toward the books that had been scattered as far as where the doors to the boys/girls bathrooms were, as well as a trash can._

_"What's the matter, girl geek, afraid of a little mess?" Damon asked with a smirk as he watched her across the floor._

_Elena's gaze turned up to him as she gave him a pointed glare. "Don't call me a geek," she said in a low warning tone as she finished cleaning up the mess he'd made before taking them back to her locker to put them all away. Elena glanced over her shoulder when she heard a nicer voice talking to the group._

_"Yeah, Salvatore, don't call my big sister a geek," Jeremy said as he walked up with Anna on his arm. Bonnie was also beside them, her arms crossed over her chest._

_"Thanks, Jeremy, but I can handle this," Elena said as she took a step forward to poke a finger into the popular guy's chest. "I'm not a geek, I'm a genius. And if you ever pick on me again, I'll make your life a living hell in years to come, got it?"_

_Damon immediately backed away at her 'threat'. "Whatever," he said before turning his eyes to the cheerleaders he had come with. "Let's go, ladies."_

_**END OF FLASHBACK 2**_

Elena blinked at the flashback ended, looking at Damon. Holy shit, he was the guy that made fun of her in high school. No wonder he looked so familiar! She stopped walking, which Damon noticed.

"What's wrong, Elena?"

Elena looked at him. "I can't believe this. I can't believe I didn't see this before. I knew you looked familiar, I just didn't see it. You're the one who made fun of me in high school. Remember? You called me a geek, knocked my books on the floor."

Damon nodded slowly, remembering the events of that long-forgotten day. "That's right, and your brother tried to defend your honor," he said with a smile. Elena grinned up at him before pulling him close to her, kissing his lips softly, and moaning into his mouth when he turned it passionate.

Damon heard her moaning into his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Who'd have guessed that tie girl he picked on in high school would end up being the one he would fall for?

He reluctantly stepped back, breaking the kiss and looking into her brown eyes with his blue ones. She had definitely grown out of the gawky high school look she used to have and was now a real knock-out. In fact, she was even more beautiful than the cheerleaders he used to date. The last time he had heard about them, they were either on their second or third marriages and had at least half a dozen kids from their mediocre husbands. Of course, once you've been with a Salvatore, everything seemed mediocre.

Elena laughed slightly, earning her a curious look from Damon. "What's so funny?"

"It's kind of ironic, really," she replied. "I'm falling for the guy Bonnie warned me to stay away from."

"I guess I was a bit of a bad boy then," Damon said. "Truth was, I actually did like you back then. But, because I had a reputation to uphold, I couldn't act upon my feelings and put up a façade." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't mean any of those things I said or did to you. I hope you can forgive me."

Elena smiled. "I already have."

Before he could say anything else, she pulled him to her and kissed him again, nibbling on his bottom lip. His lips were so hot and delicious, like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and she found herself becoming addicted to their taste.

In a whisper against her lips, she said, "Let's get out of her. I don't care where we go. I just want to be with you."

Damon smiled at her request. "Your wish is my command, gorgeous. I think I know the perfect place where we can be alone."

He stepped back and took her hand and, grabbing their coats, headed out of the club.

Inside the club, April and Matt put down their drinks once the last of their respective friends were gone and turned to smile at Elijah when he came back in with Katherine. Her hair was slightly messy and Rebekah came up and noticed. "Oh God, you two didn't do what I think you did, did you?" she asked with a groan. "ELIJAH! Mine and Stefan's club is a not a place for random 'hook-ups', okay?" She turned to a snickering April and Matt and pointed her finger at them both. "The same goes for you two!"

She left the two couples alone after letting out a loud huff and April knew she was going to find her husband. "I think she has been in a mood, and even though I'm not a doctor, I think someone has a bun in the oven," she tells Matt, who nodded slowly as if he didn't know what she meant.

April looked at Elijah when he cleared his throat. "And you are right, Ms. Young," he replies with a knowing smile. Katherine turned to him with a wide-eyed gaze. "It's true. She told me earlier this week, but no one else knows yet but you two. Mother, Father and Eleanor don't know yet, and neither do Finn, Klaus, Kol and Henrik. Please, do the honorable thing for my sake and do not mention it until we tell the others, okay?" April nodded, nudging Matt pointedly and he nodded as well.

Rebekah found Stefan in his office, where he had been most of the night. He had overheard Damon and Klaus' conversation earlier and instead of confronting them about it, he decided it was best to stay away from them until either they left or when it was time to close down.

She noticed the look on his face and knew exactly what it meant. "You seriously aren't going to let Nik and Damon's opinions rattle you, are you? So what if they think this was a waste of money?"

"I'm not letting it rattle me."

Rebekah scoffed at his reply. "Oh, rubbish, Stefan. I've learned to read your behavior patterns and I can tell you're upset. Nik and Damon don't know what they're talking about. They may be our brothers, but they don't get to lecture us on how to live our lives."

Her words made Stefan smile for the first time all night, and going over to his wife, he embraced her and kissed her. "I love you, Bekah. You know that, right?"

Rebekah smiled and kissed him back. "Of course I do, you silly man. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't." She squealed when he threw her over his shoulder then carried her into the adjoining room, plopping her down onto the bed they'd put in for themselves. "Stefan Salvatore, sometimes you have no shame! What if someone walked in on us?"

He grinned as his hand moved up underneath her loose blouse, smirking when she shuddered at his touch. "I am sure that you remembered to lock the door, didn't you?" he asked and she nodded before he finished moving her shirt up until it was just above her heaving breasts.

Stefan then threw her blouse on the floor, kissed her belly and then reached behind her to undo the clasps of her bra, moving up to kiss her breasts, gently massaging the tender nipples with his thumbs before pulling away momentarily to pull his shirt off and throw it on the floor with Rebekah's discarded blouse and bra. He was kind of hoping she'd come to him, because he certainly needed her after the dreadful night he had been having.

Panting a bit, he then leaned down and captured her lips with his, moving his hands down her arms and when he reached her wrists, he grabbed them and held them above her head as he kissed her neck, nibbling at the skin with his teeth.

Rebekah arched her back and let out a pleasurable scream. Stefan smiled against her neck and, letting go of her wrists, he undid the button and zipper on her pants, pulling them down along with her panties while Rebekah moved her hands down to his belt, undoing it before attacking the button and zipper of his jeans, pulling them down along with his boxers.

Once all their clothes were off, Stefan then held Rebekah's wrists above her head again as he drove himself into her, thrusting slowly at first and then gradually picked up speed. The heat in the room seemed to go up about ten, fifteen degrees, but Stefan didn't seem to care. As long as he was with his wife, all that mattered was her, nothing else. Hell, he even forgot what he heard earlier.

Sated and spent, Stefan eventually rolled onto his side and Rebekah followed, her fingers tracing circles on his chest. "So, I got some news this week and I don't know if you'll be shocked or delighted to hear what it is, but whatever the reaction, I hope it's good," she said as she pulled herself up on her elbows before leaving the bed completely to pull his discarded shirt over her head and joined him once again, kneeling at his side.

"What's the news?" he asked as he took her hand and kissed the knuckles.

"Stefan…I'm going to give you a baby," she said, worrying her lower lip between her teeth as she waited for his reaction.

Stefan studied her face as she told him the news and after a few minutes, a smile appeared on his face as he brought his free hand up and pulled her down for a kiss. A few more minutes passed before he pulled away and placed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Bekah, that's…that's wonderful," he said. "Honey, you have no idea how happy you made me just now. Well, you made me happy when we were making love, but you just made me even happier." Curiously, he added, "Who else knows? Klaus? Elijah? Kol? Finn? Sage? Henrik? Mikael? Esther? Eleanor? Damon?" His voice lowered an octave as he mentioned his brother's name.

Rebekah giggled. "The only ones I've told so far are you and Elijah. No one else knows yet."

"Still, its great news," Stefan said. "In fact, it's the best news I've heard all night." He kissed her again. "I love you so much, Rebekah." He kissed her belly. "I love you too, little Salvatore."

Rebekah giggled again. "And we love you too, Daddy."

**Author's Note:** With a little over 6 days until my birthday, I hope you will give me gifts with your endless reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** So, in this chapter, we're going to have a slight twist, but you'll find out what it is as you read on further!

**Chapter Seven**

**Club Salvatore – After Rebekah's Confession**…

She knew that he and Damon didn't really have the best life growing up, and that he was going to devote all his time not only into her and the club, but the baby as well. "I love you, Stefan Salvatore," she said softly against his lips when she pulled him down for a final kiss.

"And I love you, Rebekah Mikaelson Salvatore," he whispered back.

**A Few Days Later**

**A Cemetery – Rochester**…

"I miss you, Bella," Matt said, pulling the collar of his coat further up around his neck to fight off the bitter cold of the wind that had somehow gathered up unexpectedly. He had asked April if she wouldn't mind meeting him a little later to do some more photos, and she had agreed, not knowing what he was really up to. "I've met someone, you know, and she's a really great girl. You two would get along great; she's a model, like you were. Her name is April and…and I feel like our love is holding me back, Bella. What we had can't compare, I guess, but I'm asking if I have your blessing to be with her." He closed his eyes and waited for some kind of sign, smiling when he felt the softest of touches move over his cheek. "That's all I needed, thank you." Quickly departing the cemetery after leaving behind the June lily on her tombstone, Matt climbed into his car and drove away, back towards the City – and to April.

**Forbes/Gilbert/Young Apartment/Dorm Room – Same Moment**

April was dancing around the kitchen with her earphones firmly planted in her ears when someone blocked her path unexpectedly and she fell backwards onto the tile floor. She glared up at Elena before a smile made its way onto her face. "I thought you and Caroline were giving me the apartment to myself for the night," April said in question form.

"I forgot to grab some books that we both needed to help each other study," Elena replied as she helped her friend up off the floor. She glanced around at the messy kitchen. "You better remember to pick this all up, young lady, or no ice cream for you!"

April stuck her tongue out at Elena, who returned the gesture before the two girls hugged and Elena left the apartment after grabbing the items she needed for her and Caroline.

Meanwhile, Caroline waited in the library for Elena to show up. As she waited, she heard her phone vibrate and when she looked at the screen, she saw a text from Klaus. Smiling, she pressed the button and saw the message he left. _Thanks for the other night. You were and are amazing. Thinking of you and missing you terribly. – Nik_

Covering her mouth to keep from the others hearing her laughing, Caroline typed her response to her new boyfriend's message: _Miss you too. Wish I could be with you, but have to study. – Care_

She sent the message just as Elena was walking in. She didn't have to guess what the blonde was doing, because she already knew. Klaus had texted her and she answered it. Of course, Elena couldn't really blame her, because she found herself remembering the wonderful time she had with Damon after they left the club. He had taken her to his apartment, where they had made love all night, and it was the best experience she had ever had.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Caroline jumped slightly and turned to see Elena standing there. Damn it, how long had she been standing there? Sighing, she shook her head and sighed.

"No. Nik just sent me a text. Poor sweetie, he misses his Care."

Elena blinked and smiled as she sat down. "Oh, so it's Nik and Care now? Aww, that's so cute."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "What about you and Damon? Have you come up with nicknames for each other yet?" Not waiting for the brunette to answer, she added, "Speaking of, you came back to the dorm pretty late the other night." She gasped. "Elena Gilbert! Did you…" She lowered her voice so that nobody else heard them. "…lose your virginity?"

Elena blushed. "Caroline Forbes, you know a woman never kisses and tells."

"But, you have, haven't you, Elena?" Caroline said, still smiling. "Oh, Elena, I'm so proud of you."

Elena shook her head as she handed Caroline the books she'd grabbed from the apartment earlier.

**Donovan's Studio – That Same Moment**…

Tatia finished stirring the spaghetti sauce she was making then grabbed the bag of stuff she'd brought with her. She was grateful that there was still some "medicine people" still left around the world, and she'd contacted Greta first. Greta had come through for Tatia and the brunette opened the bag now before tipping it on its end and mixing it into the sauce.

Matt used his key to get into the studio and was a little confused when he smelled sauce. That meant someone was in the kitchen.

Not sure who was there, Matt took a look and saw Tatia standing by the pot. "Tatia, what the hell do you want? If you're looking for Klaus, you can just forget it. He's with Caroline."

Tatia smiled evilly. "I'm not here for Nik. I know he's got that little blonde hussy. I'm here for you, Matt." He shook his head and began heading back towards the bedroom to get ready for his date with April. Tatia scrambled around the counter, darting quickly into his path to hand him a glass of wine. "I thought we could have a little fun, Matt. Am I not fun for you?" She pouted a little bit when he didn't accept the glass from, forcing him to take it. "Have a drink, Matthew, on me…" Matt went to push her out of the way, but Tatia wouldn't budge. "Come on, Matthew. One little glass of wine won't hurt you."

"Get that away from me, Tatia." Matt was quite adamant when he said that.

Not about to give up, Tatia forced the wine down his throat.

He swayed toward her and she caught him just before he could fall onto the ground, keeping his weight up as she carried him over to the couch before putting him on the cushions and searching his pockets for his cell phone. Finding April's number at the top of his contact list, she immediately began to send a text message to the girl that she had no idea was already on her way upstairs. Tatia groaned when she heard the soft chiming of the cell phone that was slightly faint on the stairs, before acting quickly. Stripping herself of her shirt and ripping Matt's open as well, she straddled the blonde guy's waist then turned his head until she had made contact with his lips, her tongue forcing its way past the seam of his closed mouth. She turned when she heard the door open and gave the brunette a smirk. "Oh my God, you bitch!" April shrieked before rushing across the floor of the studio to yank Tatia up by her hair. "Stay away from my boyfriend!"

"April…" Matt said, his hand reaching out to try and grab her hand but she shook her head no.

"Don't. Don't you dare touch me, Matthew Donovan! I never want to speak to you again!" With that said April turned quickly and fled out of the studio, remembering to grab the food she'd brought with her on her way out.

**Tyler's Dorm Room – 15 Minutes Later**

April's hand lifted and made contact with the wooden frame that was in front of her. "Tyler, I know you're in there. I need to speak to you!"

Tyler heard knocking on his door. That's funny; he and Hayley didn't have a date tonight. When he heard April's voice, he answered it. "April? What are you doing here?" She didn't bother giving him an answer as she stepped across the threshold and pulled his head down to her and smashed her lips to his. He didn't react at first but eventually pulled back to catch his breath. "Whoa, whoa, April, you don't know what you're doing."

"Yes. I do, and right now, I want you!" She didn't give him another chance to reply before she was pulling him back in for another kiss. He gave in to her advances, pulling her inside and locking the door before whirling her towards the couch and following her down onto the cushions. He sat back up and crossed his arms down by his sides then stripped away his sweat-drenched shirt to reveal a chest that was meant for him and she grinned as her hands ran up his sides, sitting up with him until her mouth was on his chest, mapping a trail upward until she could pull him back in for another round of kisses, sloppy kisses that were eventually stopped so he could pull away her shirt as well.

Tyler couldn't understand why April was doing this, but he didn't question it as they kept kissing and tearing each other's clothes. But, it felt sort of good, even though the kisses were rushed and sloppy.

Once completely naked, he drove himself into her, growling as he began to thrust hard and fast. April gyrated against him, following his movements exactly, every memory from before seeming to disappear.

**The Next Morning**

Tyler woke to find the bed he had carried April to after their romp on the couch completely empty. "April?" he called out as he sat up, his eyes immediately spotting the note that set on the pillow next to him and he snatched it up to begin reading it.

The contents were as follows:

_"Tyler,_

_Thank you for last night. I know that I wasn't overly fond of you because of what you did to Caroline, but I saw a side of you last night that was very sweet and I hope that we can see each other again, pick up where we left off in high school._

_Miss you already._

_April."_

**The Girls' Dorm Room – That Same Moment**…

April rocked back and forth where she sat on the couch, not even noticing when her friends came into the room and noticed her doing this. "April, sweetie, what's wrong?" Elena asked as she came and sat down on one side of her friend. April shook her head, unable to speak about what she'd seen or done. "April, you can talk to us, you know. We're not going anywhere."

"I'm in love with Matt," she finally mumbled. "I'm in love with him and then I go and screw it up by sleeping with someone else!" She began to sob harder, hiding her face in her arms as they wrapped around her knees when she brought them up to her chest.

"April, who did you sleep with?" Caroline asked with a concerned tone as she sat down on the other side of the crying girl.

April shook her head no, because she wasn't about to confess that it was Tyler, knowing her friend would only get upset. "I slept with Dean. And it was a mistake!" she finally choked out in reply. She would rather lie to her friends than have to give the truth.

Elena blinked. "Dean? But, April, he broke your heart."

"Like I said, it was a mistake," the other brunette replied. "I was upset and I didn't know what else to do." She wiped her eyes. "What am I going to do now?"

On the other side, Caroline moved the hair out of her friend's face. "You're going to model and pretend as if nothing ever happened," she tells April as she scoots closer to hug her close. April hiccupped then wrapped her own arms around Caroline while Elena did the same to the both of them, making an 'April sandwich'.

**Meanwhile**…

At the studio, Matt rubbed his temples to rid himself of the pain from the drug that Tatia had given him yesterday evening. He glanced up when he heard Klaus and Damon come into the living room and plop down next to him, sitting on the wooden part of the wood-and-glass coffee table. "Okay, we have a proposition," Klaus began but Matt shook his head.

"Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it," he tells them both as he closes his eyes. He snaps them back open when he feels someone punch him in the arm. "Hey! What the hell was that for, man?"

"Matt, get up, this is pathetic," Damon tells him sternly. Matt glares at him before pulling himself over the back of the couch to get away from the guys he considered to be like his 'brothers'.

Klaus and Damon looked at each other and Klaus went after Matt, catching up to him at the door to his bedroom.

"Matt, what happened to you last night, mate? You can talk to me. Hell, you can talk to Damon too. Now, talk. What happened? We come and find you passed out on the couch, your shirt torn off and on the floor."

Matt sighed. "Do you really want to know what happened? Your girlfriend happened! Or, should I say ex-girlfriend!" he said before going to slam the door in his British friend's face, but it was blocked a moment later by a size 10 boot.

"Tatia was here?" Klaus asked. Matt nodded and ran a hand down his tired face.

"Yes, and April caught us. She actually came in and pulled her off of me before leaving. I was so out of it that when I tried to reach out to her, she actually ran," Matt confesses. He was about to tell Klaus more when his cell phone beeped, alerting him to a new text message. "That's Caroline. She says April wants to still do a photo shoot, like we were supposed to do last night."

Klaus nods before pulling his own phone out of his pocket and sending a text message to Caroline: 'I'm going to meet you girls outside and I'll bring Damon with me, to leave them to talk.'

'Okay, sounds good,' Caroline writes back immediately.

Klaus put his phone away and looked at Matt. "It's going to be all right, Matt. If you want, I could get Finn on this."

Finn was a police officer and Klaus had gone to him to get a restraining order against Tatia when he had come home to find his apartment ransacked weeks prior to their break-up. The bitch had denied being there, but Finn knew better and the restraining order was issued.

Matt shook his head though, at his friend's suggestion. "No. That's alright. I think she got the hint after April pulled her hair last night," he said, smiling a little at the memory of it.

**Author's Note 2:** Also, Erin and I discussed it, and we're most likely going to have a sequel, one filled with jealous plots and lots of suspense!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** More of the twist from the previous chapter will be in this chapter as well, I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter Eight**

**The Girls' Dorm Room – After the Confessions**…

Tyler walked quickly toward the trio of girls that was just leaving the building, and grabbed the arm of the girl he wanted to talk to. "April, can we talk?" he demanded softly.

"April, what's going on and why does Tyler want to talk to you?" Caroline asked as she pushed her ex-boyfriend away from the brunette.

"Nothing is going on. Tyler, leave!" April demanded before climbing into the driver's seat of her car and shutting the door with a soft slam behind her.

Tyler banged on the door of the car. "Come on, April, just talk to me. I want to know what you meant in your note."

Caroline and Elena were shocked. Had their friend lied about who she'd slept with because she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings? And why had she lied? They climbed into the car and closed their respective doors before turning to April. "April, sweetie, it's okay, but why would you lie to us when you told us about sleeping with Dean?" Caroline asked in a gentle voice.

"Because I was ashamed of what I'd done, Caroline," April said with tears gathering up in her eyes again. "And because I was afraid that you would be angry at me for even sleeping with your ex-boyfriend in the first place. We had a thing, you know; in high school. I thought I could forget about Dean by sleeping with Tyler, but it only gave us 'unexpected consequences'." She had never told her friends about the little boy she'd given up for adoption when she was only 18 years old, forced to sign the dotted line by her preacher father. "And I kept my relationship with him a secret from you, Caroline. I wanted Matt the first moment I saw him, but then you told me that Tyler had cheated on you with Hayley, but he never told you about our relationship, and neither did I." She wiped away her tears before climbing out of the car, leaning down to glance at her friend. "I'm going to take a walk and get some fresh air, okay?" Her friends nodded silently, giving their permission for her to leave.

April shut the door of her car before turning to Tyler, gesturing for him to go ahead of her. "April, I know you're angry with me, but to leave the bed before the sun came up? That's never been your style," he said with a low growl, refusing to take another step until she explained to him why she'd left in the first place.

She shook her head. "No. I'm not angry at you, Tyler. I'm angry at my father for forcing me to sign that document that gave OUR son a better life than what we could give him. I'm angry at my father for tearing us to shreds!" she yelled. "I keep in touch with the parents, you know, and they would like very much to arrange a meeting, so they can know who Gavin's biological father is."

Tyler nodded. "Well, you know I'll definitely do it, April. To be honest, I hated your father for what he made you do. Hell, I wanted to kick a field goal with his head for making you give our son to somebody else like that." He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be there for you, April. No questions asked." He scoffed. "Plus, I doubt that loser, Dean, would step up to the plate and help you. If you ask me, sleeping with Hayley's sister was a low blow. I hope he lives with the guilt for the rest of his life." He bit his lips, thinking about his own indiscretion with Hayley. However, he couldn't allow himself to think about it, not when April needed him the most. "Did you want to get some coffee or something? I know, it's very forward of me for even asking, but you look like you could use some, not to mention some company; not that Elena and Caroline aren't good company, which they are, but I just can't let you be alone today."

April smiled a little more, even though she wasn't happy when he mentioned using her father's head for a field goal. "That's really sweet of you, Tyler, but can we make a rain-check? I already told Matt I would do another shoot with him and I think I'm kind of late for it," she said as she checked the time on her cell phone.

"Sure, that sounds fine," he said before stepping back from her. She moved back towards her car and climbed inside, waving at him as she drove away from the curb, tires squealing in protest at the speedy driving.

**Donovan's Studio – A Half-Hour Later**

Klaus and Damon both stared at Caroline and Elena once they _all_ had confessed what had happened to April and Matt. "Wow. I knew that she was upset, but I didn't think she would immediately turn to someone else for comfort," Damon said softly as he all but plopped into the chair he was holding onto.

Elena went over to her boyfriend and sat in his lap, running her fingers through his hair. "Believe me, Damon, we didn't like it either. We thought she went to her ex-boyfriend, Dean, but then we found out that she slept with Tyler."

Klaus looked at Caroline. "Isn't that the one that cheated on you with that Hayley person, Caroline?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, that's the very same guy. I just…couldn't believe she'd lie like that, especially when she knew how upset I was after what Tyler had done to me. We're supposed to be friends, almost sisters even." She went over to Klaus and wrapped her arms around his waits. "I just hope this doesn't come back to bite her in the ass."

**Downstairs, in the Studio – Same Moment**…

"You slept with him?!" Matt demanded. "Tatia didn't even do anything to me, April. All she did was force me to have a glass of wine, and it had a drug in it, which made me pass out and not even know what was going on."

"It had _nothing_ to do with you, Matt!" she shrieked back at him. "Tyler is a part of my PAST, and you are my FUTURE! I get why Tatia had to attack Caroline a few nights ago, but that was only because Tatia was jealous of Caroline 'moving' in to snatch Klaus up. Our situation is a little different, okay?!"

Matt sighed heavily. He was still pretty peeved about the situation, even if it was different.

"Maybe, but you didn't have to sleep with your ex," he said. "I love you, April, you know that. That's why I'm not exactly happy about the fact that you didn't even let me explain myself." He ran a hand through his hair. "You know what? Maybe we should just take a break."

April nodded. "Good idea. Maybe we can all go for dinner or something."

"No, I meant a break from us."

"What?" April said. "You're breaking up with me? Matt, please, you can't do this to me. Okay, I'll admit that sleeping with Tyler was stupid, but that you don't have to break up with me for it."

"I'm sorry, April, but I made up my mind," Matt said. "I thought I could make this work, but obviously, I was hoping for too much."

She nodded tearfully, her face turning away and landing her gaze on the camera and the backgrounds. "Will we still be able to work together?" she asked in a choked reply.

"I want us to keep the same 'working' relationship, even if we have to force a smile on our faces when we see each other," he replied.

They both turned when their friends came down the stairs, hand in hand. Caroline saw the tears in her friend's eyes, as did Elena, and the two other girls stepped forward to wrap their arms around April, leading her out of the studio. A few minutes later, Caroline & Elena came back without April and glared at their boyfriends until they got the hint and left the room. "Okay, I know that April sleeping with Tyler was a mistake, but did you _have_ to break her heart over it? She's been through a lot already, Matt!" Caroline yelled at him.

"Caroline is right, Matt. She admits that she made a mistake, and she also told us that it won't happen again. She and Tyler had a son together, did you know that?" Elena demanded.

Matt was shocked at that. "No. I…she never told me that she even had a child, let alone a son," he replied while gulping down his courage.

"Pastor Young made them give him up for adoption," Caroline said. "Apparently, he was embarrassed that his daughter had sex before marriage. So, in order to keep from further embarrassment, as soon as the baby was born, he had April sign some papers and another couple came and took the baby."

Matt bit his lip. Damn, he felt really stupid now. He wondered if April would even forgive him for what he had done. "What do you think I should do? I don't want April to hate me for this."

"Well, you did kind of overreact," Elena said. "April loves you, Matt. And I know that you love her just as much. Besides, we do kind of owe you. Caroline and I wouldn't have gotten together with Damon and Klaus if we hadn't met you."

"That's right, we owe you big time. Now, as far as what you should do, I think you should at least try to make this work," Caroline said. "That's what love is, Matt. Are there going to be challenges? Yes, but you have to be strong in the face of them and fight for what you believe in. You see what I'm getting at, Matt? Fight for April, show her what you have is strong enough to make it through any obstacle."

Matt nodded, before rushing over to the coat rack and putting on his coat and rushing out the door. He quickly found April's car, with her sitting in the driver's seat and walked quickly over to it, pulling open the front passenger's door and climbing inside and giving April a smile. "Hey there, beautiful," he said with another smile.

"Matt!" she exclaimed in surprise, the tears leaking out the corners of her eyes when he called her 'beautiful'. "I'm so sorry about everything, including what I did with Tyler. I just sent him a text message that we should remain friends for the rest of our lives, because I've got someone special in my life," she tells him softly.

Matt shook his head. "No, April, it's my fault. I was an idiot for overreacting. I don't want to lose you, April. I love you so much that it hurts to even think of my life without you in it. Elena and Caroline just gave me a big lecture, and they're right. I should fight for you; show you what we have together is strong enough to make it through any obstacle. And that I should try to make this work." He sighed before taking her hand. "What do you say, April? Think I deserve another shot? I sure hope so, because I would've wasted a trip to the cemetery last night."

April raised an eyebrow. "What? Cemetery? Matt, what are you…"

"I went to visit Bella's grave last night," Matt said. "I told her about you, and that you two would get along great. I even asked her for her blessing to be with you."

"You did that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you, April," Matt said. "I accept everything about you, even your past, ugly as it may have been."

April nodded. "Then you accept my forgiveness for sleeping with Tyler?" she asked. Matt nodded yes, that he did, before leaning in to kiss her on the lips softly.

"I forgive you," he said softly once he'd parted their lips. She nodded then pulled him back to her for another kiss before they were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the window next to Matt.

"Well, have you two made up yet?" Klaus asked with a smirk. Caroline stood beside him with a matching smirk and April looked to her side to find Elena and Damon standing there with matching smirks on their faces.

Matt rolled his eyes at Klaus' question. "We're kissing, aren't we?"

Klaus looked at Caroline. "I think we got our yes, love."

Caroline giggled. "I think you're right, Nik," she said as she kissed him soundly.

**Later That Evening – Club Salvatore**

April sat in Matt's lap as he stroked her cheek affectionately. She gazed at him as he nuzzled her cheek, softly telling her a joke and she laughed. April looked over at her friends as they did the same thing with their boyfriends then looked up at Rebekah and Stefan when they came up to the booth the group was sitting in. "Hey there, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore," April said jokingly with a smile on her face.

"Very cute, the future Mrs. Matt Donovan," Rebekah said with a smirk.

Stefan looked at Damon. "Still think this place is a waste of money, brother?"

Elena gasped and hit her boyfriend's arm. "Damon! That's not a nice thing to say about your brother's club!"

Damon laughed as he felt her hitting his arm. "I was only saying it because I didn't want Stefan to make a bad investment, that's all." He stood up and put his hand on Stefan's shoulder. "Now, I think you are going to do well, brother."

Stefan nodded and pulled his brother into a hug. Elena and Rebekah smiled at each other as they watched the two men hugging each other before Damon sat back down. He leaned over and kissed Elena on the lips quickly and she snuggled into him after he pulled away. "You're a good guy, Damon Salvatore," she whispered to him.

Rebekah turned to her brother as well. "And what about you, Niklaus; do you think we've made a bad investment?" she asked him.

Klaus shook his head no. "I think Damon is right, Bekah," he replied honestly. He stood up and pulled his sister into a gentle hug then kissed her forehead affectionately. "I love you, Rebekah."

"I love you too, Nik," she replied softly.

Caroline smiled as she watched Klaus and Rebekah. When he sat down again, she pulled him into a hug. "I love you, Nik."

Klaus smiled and returned her kiss. "I love you too, sweet Caroline."

"Well, well, if this isn't the most joyous of occasions," another voice thick with a British accent commented and everyone turned their heads to see not one, but two more Mikaelson siblings, one with a redhead and the other with a blonde.

"Finn, Kol, what an unexpected surprise," Klaus said, a frown creasing his face when Caroline punched him in the arm.

"Be nice!" she hissed at him.

Kol smiled at Caroline. "You must be the lovely Caroline. It's a pleasure to meet you, love. I'm Kol Mikaelson."

Caroline nodded and smiled as well. "It's nice to meet you, Kol." She looked at the other blonde. "Who's your friend?"

Kol stepped behind the blonde beside him and presented her. "This is my girlfriend, Lexi Branson. Lexi, this is Caroline."

Lexi nodded. "It's nice to meet you." Her gaze turned to find a familiar face. "Stefan? Stefan Salvatore, what a surprise!" She runs up to him and hugs him fiercely.

"Wait a minute, I'm confused," Kol said as he watched his girlfriend. "I thought you said that you didn't know Stefan."

"Correction, I said I haven't _seen_ Stefan in years," Lexi reminded him when she turned around to glare at her boyfriend.

Caroline rolled her eyes then turned to the other Mikaelson brother. "And you must be Finn," she said with a smile.

Finn nodded. "And you are correct, Miss Forbes," he said, returning her smile before turning to the redhead next to him. "This is my wife, Sage."

Sage gave Caroline a smile as well. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name. I've seen your pictures in all the modeling magazines, but you are much prettier in person," she tells Caroline.

Caroline blushes. "Thank you, Sage," she replies. She gestures to Klaus. "And he will be doing my photos from now on."

Both Sage and Finn gave Klaus wide-eyed looks. "Well, he is a wonderful photographer. You better treat her like a princess, Niklaus," Sage admonishes him.

"Oh, I intend to," Klaus said, giving his sister-in-law a stern look. "In fact, I've been treating her like a princess. I love her with every fiber of my being."

Sage smiled. "Good. That's all I need to know. You deserve to be happy after what that bitch, Tatia did to you."

Klaus nodded. "I don't think we'll have to worry about her anymore. Matt's girlfriend saw to that."

**Author's Note 2:** HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY to all of my Irish followers and reviewers! I hope you all remembered to wear green!


	9. Chapter 9

**_Previously, in "Angels in a Centerfold", in the aftermath of the Tatia incident, Matt and April nearly break up, but Elena and Caroline give Matt a lecture, which results in him and April reuniting._**

**Author's Note:** Is Tyler obsessed or what?! Let me know what your thoughts are on your next review!

**Chapter Nine**

**Back Room of Club Salvatore**

Clothes were strewn every which way as Damon and Elena made love on the mattress in the back room. They had come back here shortly after Finn and Kol arrived, after Elena had whispered something in Damon's ear. And, not wanting to disappoint his girlfriend, Damon complied. He trailed hot kisses all over her neck and caressed her body as Elena wrapped her legs around his waist, running her hands all over his body, feeling his muscles tingling under her palms.

Panting, Damon said, "You're becoming quite the bad girl, Elena."

Elena smiled at his remark. "That's because I've got a bad boy for a boyfriend and he taught me everything he knows." She kissed him roughly, clutching onto his hair with her fingers. Every strand felt like black velvet against her skin, which she liked. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Damon."

Damon returned her kiss. "That's easy; you stole my heart and took my breath away." He ran his hands across her thighs. "Te amo, cara mia," he whispered.

Elena moaned at his touch. "You speak Italian?"

"My mom taught me when I was little," he replied. "I speak it from time to time. What I just said was, 'I love you, my darling.'"

Elena smiled. "It's beautiful, especially when you say it in that sexy velvety voice of yours."

Damon smiled and kissed her again. "Then, I'll make it a point to say it to you whenever we're alone."

**Meanwhile**…

Tyler caressed the skin of the thigh belonging to Hayley, wishing it was April's instead. "Hey, are you okay?" Hayley asked softly as she moved closer to press her lips to the corner of his mouth.

Tyler looked at Hayley. "Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem like you're a million miles away."

Tyler shook his head. "Positive. It's just been a weird week, that's all." _Weird is putting it mildly,_ he added in his mind. He didn't want to tell Hayley about April, thinking that if he did, she'd accuse him of cheating on her, which was ironic, considering that he had cheated on Caroline with her.

"Yeah, I have those kind of weeks myself sometimes," Hayley said. "But, I think I know how I can make yours a little better." She kissed him roughly and rolled over so that she was on top. "Come on, cowboy, let's go for a ride. And I know you like taking me for a ride."

As much as Tyler wanted to refuse, he kissed her roughly back and allowed her to have her way with him, the vision of April still fresh in his mind. Afterward, he said, "I think we should take a little cool-down for now."

"What do you mean?!" she shrieked loudly, moving away from him angrily.

"I mean, I am asking you to put things on hold with us," he hissed. He pushed her off of him then headed to the bathroom to clean up, not even noticing when she joined him at the doorway.

"You don't get to decide to 'cool things down', Tyler Lockwood!" she shrieked. Grabbing the closest object, she threw it at him and he immediately ducked so that it missed his head.

Tyler blinked after Hayley's attack. "Are you crazy or something? You could've hurt me!"

Hayley ignored him and saw something that she didn't notice when she came in earlier. Going over to it, she picked it up and looked at it. It was a pair of panties, but they weren't hers. "Tyler, who do these belong to? I don't remember wearing these."

Tyler bit his lip when he saw the panties in question and it dawned on him that they belonged to April. She must've left them behind in her haste and didn't even realize it. Hayley looked like she was ready to kill him, or even castrate him. What the hell was he going to do now? "They, uh, belong to a friend." _Smooth, Lockwood, real smooth,_ his thoughts added.

"And who is this 'friend' of yours?"

Tyler gulped, knowing he couldn't get out of it. "Her name is April. April Young."

"Would April happen to be that little brunette that hangs around with your ex-girlfriend, Caroline?"

"Yes," Tyler said. "And I'd appreciate it if you leave her alone. She never did anything to you."

"Oh, she did something alright," Hayley said. "She was in your bed, wasn't she? What's the matter, I'm not good enough for you anymore? You think I'm just some random floozy that you can have your fun with and dump her the next day? Well, you've got another guess coming if you think I'm going to let this April Young come between us like this!"

"She came to me!" Tyler yelled softly. "April was upset, and she needed someone, so I automatically became that someone." He ran a hand down his weary-looking face before walking over to Hayley and taking the underwear from her and stuffing it into his pocket. "I'll take them back to her, if that would satisfy you."

"That would satisfy me very, very much," Hayley said, her anger slipping away as she moved her arms around him and kissed him softly before moving down his face, to his jaw, his neck and then his chest.

Tyler sighed into the kiss. He survived this battle, at least. But, who knows how many more like this one he'd have to endure. Hayley had him trapped and he knew it.

**Back at the Club**

Rebekah sat in Stefan's lap as she waited until the last of her siblings had gotten their drinks at the bar, nuzzling his cheek and whispering in his ear, "Once we've told the siblings, we can tell Mother, Father and Eleanor, okay?" He nodded and turned her face towards his to kiss her softly.

"Hey now, none of that," a voice said teasingly in front of them and they both turned their heads to find Sage standing there with a somewhat stern look on her face, even though a smile was fighting its way onto her lips.

"We're still in our honeymoon stage, Sage, what do you expect?" Rebekah said teasingly as she nuzzled Stefan's cheek some more.

Sage nodded. "Mmhm." She looked at Stefan. "Speaking of honeymoon, I saw your brother heading to the back room with his girlfriend and it definitely looked like they were eager to be alone."

"I know, Damon and Elena are just as much in love as everyone else here," Stefan said. "I'm happy that he has someone in his life. Looks like there might another Salvatore wedding with the way they're going."

"Let's not rush that," Katherine reminded Stefan and Rebekah as she and Elijah came up to the booth everyone was sitting at. "I'm not eager to see my twin sister married off just yet."

"And why is that, Katerina?" Elijah asked as he pulled her in close, their hands intertwining as he stood behind her. She rubbed her cheek against his then giggled.

"Elena has only just met Damon, and we both just saw Jeremy marry Anna, so I'm not ready for her to attempt a walk down the aisle unless I go first," she tells Elijah.

Stefan nodded at what Katherine said. "That's true. I was just making an observation."

"I know you were," she replied. "And I don't blame you for it because I see the way they are together. Damon is good for Elena."

Out on the dance floor, April had her head on Matt's shoulder as she listened to him humming the song currently playing in her ear and next to them, Klaus was doing the same thing to Caroline. When the song came to an end, Klaus cut into the middle of April and Matt and pulled her aside. "I wanted to run an idea by you," he tells her softly as he walks with her towards the bar.

April nodded. "Okay, what is it?" she asked as she ordered another glass of water.

"I wanted to play for Caroline, but I don't want her to know that it's for her, because I want it to be a private audience kind of thing," Klaus replies as he signals for a bottle of beer.

April smiled. "Oh, that sounds like a great idea. I think she'll love it. Then again, Caroline loves anything you do for her."

"I don't doubt that," Klaus said. "I'd do just about anything for Caroline."

"Well, don't let me stop you, Klaus," April said. "Go for it."

**Two Days Later**…

Klaus held Caroline's hand as he led her out onto the docks where he had the band set up. "Klaus, why do I hear water?" Caroline asked him as he came to a stop.

"Because, love, that is where your surprise is," he replies before reaching up to untie the blindfold around her head. She gasped at the sight before her then turned to look at her boyfriend with shock still embedded in her expression. Klaus smiled at her. "I take it by your expression that you like it?"

Caroline's shock turned into a smile as well. "Oh, Nik, I don't just like it, I love it." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I love you."

Klaus returned her kiss and pulled her close to him. "I love you too, Caroline." He kissed her again. "And after tonight, you're going to love me even more."

He helped her sit down in a chair that was set up at the table then sat down across from her. Reaching out, he removed the lids that he had over the plates and she grinned when she saw what was there: take-out food, from a Thai restaurant. "You remembered how much I love Thai food," she gushed, moving until she could lean across the table to kiss him on the lips one final time.

"I did remember," he replied as he kissed her back before she sat back down. "Eat up, love; there will be more to your surprise after dinner."

Caroline squirmed in her seat with anticipation as to what the rest of her surprise was from Klaus. She found out once the plates were cleared away and the trash was thrown into the can she'd noticed sitting nearby, and Klaus led her to a bench before turning to kneel in front of another part of the bench, and that was when Caroline noticed some kind of instrument case sitting underneath it. "Klaus, what are you doing?" she asked in shock as he pulled out a guitar and strapped it around his upper body then sat down next to her.

"I am expressing my love for you through music," he tells her in response before he strums up the guitar then begins to play softly. She recognizes immediately the tune of the song; she'd heard it when she was in junior high school back in Mystic Falls. It was 'Truly Madly Deeply' by Savage Garden.

**_I'll be your dream  
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do  
I will be strong I will be faithful  
Because I'm counting on  
A new beginning  
A reason for living  
A deeper meaning, yeah_**

_**Chorus**_  
_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_  
_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_  
_**I want to lay like this forever**_  
_**Until the sky falls down on me**_

_**And when the stars are shining**_  
_**Brightly in the velvet sky**_  
_**I'll make a wish send it to heaven**_  
_**Then make you want to cry**_  
_**The tears of joy for all the**_  
_**Pleasure in the certainty**_  
_**That we're surrounded by the**_  
_**Comfort and protection of**_  
_**The highest powers**_  
_**In lonely hours**_  
_**The tears devour you**_

_**Chorus**_  
_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_  
_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_  
_**I want to lay like this forever**_  
_**Until the sky falls down on me**_

_**Oh can you see it baby?**_  
_**You don't have to close your eyes**_  
_**Because it's standing right here**_  
_**Before you**_  
_**All that you need will surely come**_

_**I'll be your dream**_  
_**I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy**_  
_**I'll be your hope I'll be your love**_  
_**Be everything that you need**_  
_**I'll love you more with every breath**_  
_**Truly, madly, deeply do**_

_**Chorus**_  
_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_  
_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_  
_**I want to lay like this forever**_  
_**Until the sky falls down on me**_

_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_  
_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_  
_**I want to live like this forever**_  
_**Until the sky falls down on me**_

Caroline smiled as tears welled up in her eyes after Klaus finished his song. She leaned forward and kissed him passionately. Klaus smiled against her lips as he returned her kiss, massaging her cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the tears that were flowing down her face.

After a few minutes, Caroline pulled away slightly, nibbling on his bottom lip. "You're amazing, Nik."

Klaus smiled again, nibbling on her bottom lip. "Thank you, love. I wanted to do something special for you."

"That was definitely special," Caroline said. "And you're right; I do love you even more after what you did. You're very talented, Nik. Not only do you take great pictures, but you play guitar and sing. Is that what you're going be going to that art school for, music?"

"Music and art," Klaus said. "I also paint. It was one of my many passions when I was younger. It still is."

"Really?" Caroline said. "I'd like to see your paintings."

He nodded then put away his guitar before taking it in one hand and holding out his free hand for her hand, which she slipped into his and they walked off the dock and headed to his car, which they'd drove to the location for their date. Once they were both settled inside, Klaus warmed it up with heat so she wouldn't be shivering and drove away, going towards his family's home on the other side of town. He knew that Mikael had taken Eleanor out of town for a 'second honeymoon' and they wouldn't be back for a few days, so he used his key to get inside, leading Caroline inside in the semi-dark and closing the door behind them once they were finally inside. "You have a beautiful home," she whispered loudly with a giggle.

"Thank you," he whispered back just as loud with a soft chuckle. He put the keys down in the bowl on the table just inside the front door quietly then pulled gently on her hand and she followed along behind him, her soft giggles echoing in the dark, empty house as they went toward his small studio at the back of the house, right behind the kitchen. Using one hand, he covered her eyes and let the other one flip the switch that flooded the room with light before he uncovered her eyes again. "What do you think?"

Caroline looked around at all the paintings and smiled at Klaus as she finally faces him. "They are beautiful, but I'm sure you're going to say that they're not as beautiful as me," she says with a soft laugh before doing something totally surprising. She brushed past him and he turned to see what she had planned, seeing that she had locked the door before turning back around to cross her arms down by her sides and slowly lift her blouse up over her head to reveal…absolutely nothing underneath!

Klaus licked his lips as he saw what Caroline had done. "I think you're right, love. I was going to say they weren't as beautiful as you."

Caroline smiled and approached him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him. Klaus returned her kiss and reached up to tease her nipples with his thumbs, earning him a muffled scream from her. Caroline pulled back and whispered against his lips, "Nik, I want you to paint me."

Klaus returned her smile. "I'd love to. You'd look as amazing on canvas as you are in front of the camera, Caroline."

She smiled some more then followed his instructions when he told her to lie on the floor of his studio, her pose similar to that of Rose from Titanic.

**Author's Note 2:** This chapter was the longest I've ever written throughout this entire fan fiction, and I hoped you enjoyed it as much as Erin and I enjoyed writing it!


	10. Chapter 10

**_Previously in "Angels in a Centerfold", Damon and Elena also christen the back room of his brother's and Rebekah's club, and Klaus expresses his love for Caroline by singing to her._**

**Author's Note:** An unexpected guest or two will make their way into this chapter, so be on the lookout!

**Chapter Ten**

**Club Salvatore – Two Months Later**

Vicki Donovan Talbot walked into the club with the car seat in her hand. Once she was inside, she found a booth near the back for a little more privacy and sat down, putting the car seat next to her. She pulled back the blanket to find her son gurgling and grinning up at her. "Hi there, handsome," she said with a grin as she began to free him from the buckles in the seat and gently pulled him out so she could cradle him in the crook of her arm. She reached over and dug around in the side pockets until she found the bottle she'd been looking for, removing the cap and checking the nipple before pulling the toy her son had been playing with to rub the tip of the nipple against his small lips. He soon began to drink and she settled back against the seat, humming softly to him as she rocked him.

Shortly afterward, April walked in. She had told everyone that she wanted to meet there, so that was why she was here by herself. Looking toward the back, she saw a woman with a baby. She looked somewhat familiar, even though she didn't know her personally. Her curiosity getting the better of her, April cleared her throat and went over to the booth.

"He's cute."

The woman looked up at her. "Thank you. His name is Riley and he's the love of my life." She looked at the baby again. "Aren't you, sweetie?"

April looked at the baby and couldn't help but get a feeling of déjà vu, and started to think about her own son. Clearing her throat again, she said, "I'm April. What's your name?"

"Vicki. Vicki Donovan Talbot."

April's eyes went wide, remembering that Matt told her that he had a sister named Vicki and that he rarely saw her anymore. "Wait, you wouldn't happen to be related to a Matt Donovan, would you?"

Vicki nodded. "Yep, he's my brother. Why?"

"He's my boyfriend. And he told me about you when I met him. He said he rarely sees you anymore."

"Yeah, about that; my life has been kind of chaotic lately," Vicki said. "My husband and I are going through a rough patch at the moment, and I've got Riley here to take care of. Not to mention the fact that my mother is in rehab…again. So, you can bet that's been taking up a lot of my energy."

As she finished that, Vicki sighed. There wasn't a moment that her mother, Kelly Donovan, wasn't without a bottle of booze in her hand, and she had been in and out of rehab for years, always saying she'd never do it again. Of course, Vicki knew better because no sooner was that promise made than it was quickly broken again. Her son's soft cries cut into her thoughts about her dysfunctional family and she turned her attention to him, realizing he'd pushed away his bottle and Vicki knew he was ready to be burped.

"May I hold him?" April asked timidly, reaching her hands out for the baby. She wasn't going to forget about her little boy – who would be almost 5 now – but at least she could help with someone else's baby.

"Sure," Vicki replied as she gently moved Riley into the brunette's arms, smiling when she saw that this woman seemed to be a natural at it. "You were a mother, weren't you?"

April nodded sadly, looking up at Vicki and Vicki saw the tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. "Yes. But my little boy was taken from me shortly after he was born, because of my controlling father," she said in a choked reply.

**Meanwhile**…

Tyler arrived at the club that seemed to be the hot-spot for everyone in town, heading inside without checking his coat in the area just before the door that led inside. He glanced around and finally spotted April sitting with a baby in her arms and felt his hands clench into fists at the sight of her. Then he noticed another brunette smiling at her and his hands unclenched, realizing that the baby belonged to the other woman. Tyler kept himself hidden in the shadows as he approached the booth they were sitting in, and closing his hand over April's mouth to prevent her from screaming. "I need to give something back to you, and we're going to do this quickly, outside," he demanded in her ear.

April nodded then allowed the other woman to take her son back before letting Tyler lead her out of the club with his hand still over her mouth. Once they were in the alley, Tyler turned her around but kept his hand over her mouth so she still couldn't scream. Once he was positive she wouldn't try to cry out for help, he removed his hand. "What do you want, Tyler? I already told you that we couldn't be in a relationship," she said in a demanding tone.

Tyler nodded. "I know; I got your text. But, like I said, I have something to give back to you."

April raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

Tyler reached into her pocket and pulled out her panties. "You left these in my dorm room. Hayley found them and…let's just say she wasn't too happy about it."

April gasped. "Oh my God, I had no idea. I guess I must've been in such a rush to leave that I didn't realize I had gone commando."

Tyler gave her a half smile and then handed her the panties. April took them from him and placed them in her pocket. "I'm sorry I did that to you, April. I didn't mean to scare you." He sighed. "I guess I'd better go. Hayley and I have a date tonight and I don't want to keep her waiting."

April nodded. "Yeah, God forbid. Bye, Tyler."

She then quickly went back into the club. Tyler watched her leave and after a few minutes, he walked away.

**Back Inside the Club**…

April had just passed the bathroom when she felt an arm encircle her wrist and pull her inside and she gasped when she realized it was Caroline & Elena. "What are you doing, April?" Elena demanded.

"I wasn't doing anything, _Elena_," April hissed. Elena crossed her arms over her chest and gave her a stern look that said, _Don't think you can fool me, April Whitney Young; I know all kinds of dirty secrets about you._

April glared pointedly back at Elena. "What was Tyler doing here anyway?" Caroline asked as she intervened into the conversation and stare-down.

"He was returning something I left behind at his dorm room," April responded before turning on her heel to walk out of the bathroom. "Excuse me, but I should go find my boyfriend."

She left the bathroom and Caroline turned to Elena. "Do you think she's telling the truth?" she asked the other brunette.

"I did see a little bit of the underwear peeking out of her pocket, so yeah, I do," Elena replied.

**Stefan's Office – That Same Moment**…

Stefan was looking through the ledger and was impressed at what he saw. The club seemed to be doing really well, which made him happy. Hearing a knock at the door, he said without looking up, "Come in, it's open."

The door opened and Damon walked in, a scared look on his face and an envelope in his hand. Stefan looked up from what he was doing and saw his brother standing there. "Damon, what are you doing here?" He noticed the envelope. "What's that in your hand?"

Damon felt his heart hammer as he replied, "I was going through my mail today and I discovered this. It was from the one man I thought was out of our lives forever." He saw the confused look on Stefan's face. "It was from Dad, Stefan."

"Dad?" Stefan said. "But, why would he suddenly be in contact with you?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Damon said. "The man walked out on us when you were two. I was so worried about Mom that I tried to convince him to stay. The bastard would hear none of it and backhands me, sending me flying across the living room and into one of the shelves, causing one of the decorative plates to fall. When it shattered, one of the pieces cut my neck, nearly severing my carotid artery. I came close to dying that night, Stefan, and Dad didn't even bat an eyelash. He just walked out." He sighed. "I still have the scar, an unfortunate souvenir from my attempt to reason with him."

Stefan blinked. "Does Elena know about it? Has she seen the scar?"

Damon shook his head. "No, I haven't told her. And if she hasn't seen the scar already, she's bound to see it eventually." He sighed. "How do I tell my girlfriend that my bastard of a father nearly killed me when I was eight? That's not exactly an easy conversation to have. I love her, Stefan, but I don't want her to think I'm keeping secrets from her."

"Then you should tell her the truth, Damon," Stefan advised as he closed the ledger before standing up to move around the desk.

"What should Damon tell the truth about?" Rebekah asked as she moved into the office.

"Nothing," Damon growled before leaving them alone.

"Stefan, what is going on?" his wife demanded, her eyes lowering onto the floor and noticing the envelope Damon had been holding on the floor and she knelt down to scoop it up, holding it for Stefan to look at. "Who is the letter from?"

"Our father," Stefan said simply as he took the envelope and put it in his back pocket. _Out of sight, out of mind,_ his thoughts told him. "Why don't we go say hello to our guests?"

Though Rebekah was skeptical, she still nodded and allowed her husband to lead her out of the office, closing and locking the door behind them. Before they went out into the club, he pulled her close and kissed her softly but passionately then knelt to kiss the small mound of her belly.

Damon headed out into the club, sweating profusely and his heart hammering in his chest. He knew that Stefan was right, that he had to tell Elena the truth.

The question was, would she be able to handle it?

"There you are, Damon."

Damon looked over and saw Elena coming toward him. She kissed him hello, but noticed the sweat on his face. "Are you okay? You're sweating."

His eyes cast down when he felt the envelope being placed in his hand and he was about to thank his brother but stopped because he was already fading into the crowd that had gathered. "I, um, I got a letter from my father today," he started as an explanation. "He wants to reconcile with me."

Elena gazed up at him sympathetically. "And you're not sure if you're ready for it, are you?" she asked softly as she framed his face between her hands and made him look her in the eyes. Damon nodded, knowing she would understand about the situation.

"Yes. I was eight years old when he left, and I tried to stop him from leaving, but he backhanded me, sending me flying across the living room and into one of the shelves, causing one of the decorative plates to fall. When it shattered, one of the pieces cut my neck, nearly severing my carotid artery," he tells her as he looks down into her chocolate brown eyes. She nodded and moved until she had her arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly.

**Inside the Booth**…

"So, you and Zane are having problems?" Matt asked his sister as April held onto his hand, squeezing it and caressing it affectionately. She knew he wasn't happy that she'd sprung this surprise on him, but she needed to bring the two siblings closer together.

Vicki nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately; I love Zane, or at least, I did love Zane, but it just wasn't working." She looked down at the baby in her arms. "The only good thing is that Riley is too young to know what's going on, even though I feel bad that there's a possibility that he's going to grow up without a father."

Matt also looked at the baby. He hated the fact that his nephew was experiencing these things at so young an age. However, Vicki seemed to be a good mother, so he was in good hands.

**Meanwhile**…

As Elena was hugging Damon, she noticed the scar on his neck, right where the plate had cut it years ago. "Is that the scar?"

Damon pulled back and pulled down his shirt collar so that she could see it better. "Yeah, it is. I lost quite a bit of blood and if it weren't for a donor that was found at the last minute, there's a good chance that I would've died. They stitched me up and although it's healed, it's still visible."

"Who else knows about it?" Her fingers traced the scar in a soft, gentle manner as she waited silently for his answer.

"My mom, Stefan and Klaus," Damon said. "And now you know." He sighed. "I'm sorry I never told you, Elena. I love you so much and I never want to keep anything from you."

"Damon, its okay," Elena said. "You didn't have to tell me, but at the same time, I'm glad you did. And no matter what happens, you know I'm here for you." She kissed him softly. "I'd never think less of you, you know that. You mean everything to me."

Damon smiled and returned her kiss, pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. He felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, even though he still wasn't sure what to do about the situation because he still harbored a deep hatred for his father for walking out on his family. He silently vowed in that moment that he'd never do that to Elena because he loved her too much to hurt her the way his father hurt his mother.

**Meanwhile**…

Elijah waited patiently for Elena to return and Katherine noticed this right off. "Elijah, sweetie, are you okay?" she asked as she moved closer to kiss him softly. He nodded then finally let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding when Elena finally appeared with Damon right behind her.

Once he waved them over, Elijah knelt down in front of Katherine and took her left hand in his trembling fingers. "Katherine Hannah Pierce, over the course of the past three years, you have put up with me and my extending family, and that takes a lot of guts, especially when I would like to be another member of my family to add you into the fold. Katherine, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife? Will you spend the rest of your days with me?" he asked with a shaky voice.

Katherine was tearing up by the time he finished with his unexpected proposal then tackled him onto the bench of the booth, smothering his face with kisses. "I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with you, Elijah Soren Mikaelson," she said between kisses. She held out her hand for him to slip the ring onto her finger and grinned when it was finally on. "It's beautiful, Elijah!"

**Author's Note 2:** I hoped you enjoyed seeing the appearance of Vicki in this chapter, because in a few chapters, you'll soon see the appearance of her estranged husband and why they're having problems.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Previously in "Angels in a Centerfold", Matt's sister, Vicki, returns, Tyler brings April's discarded panties back to her; Damon gets a letter from his estranged father, and explains a painful part of his past to Elena. On a happier note, Elijah proposes to Katherine._**

**Author's Note:** An unexpected guest or two will make their way into this chapter, so be on the lookout!

**Chapter Eleven**

**Club Salvatore – Shortly after Elijah Proposes to Katherine**…

Kol raised a glass after he saw Katherine accept Elijah's proposal. He was obviously happy that his brother was finally getting the girl of his dreams. He then looked over at Klaus and Caroline, smiling at how much in love they were, and then over at Finn and Sage. The whole room was filled with love at the moment, which was perfect for what he was planning. "Isn't it great, Kol? Elijah is getting married."

Kol heard what Lexi said and smiled at well. "Indeed it is, Lexi. I've never seen him so happy." He looked at her. "In fact, his proposal plays right into what I'm planning for tonight."

Lexi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You're not going to make a scene, are you? You know I hate it when you make a scene."

"Oh, come on, love, what makes you think I'm going to make a scene?" Kol said. "I simply want to do what Elijah just did." He placed his glass on the counter of the bar and got on one knee in front of Lexi. "My darling Alexia, you have made me a very happy man since you came into my life and I find myself falling more and more in love with you with every day that goes by." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd be honored if you were to agree to be my wife." He opened the box to reveal a diamond ring. "I love you, Alexia Josephine Branson. Will you marry me?"

Lexi gasped when she saw the ring and her heart hammered, her eyes welling up with tears. "Oh, Kol, it's so beautiful. I love you too and I…yes."

Kol smiled. "Yes?"

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, I will marry you, Kol Thomas Mikaelson."

Kol placed the ring on Lexi's finger and kissed it before standing up and kissing her lips passionately.

**Two Days Later – Mikaelson Mansion, Manhattan**

"Oh, do stop pacing, Mikael, you're giving me a headache," Esther Smith complained to her former husband.

"How can you be so calm, Esther?" he demanded as he continued to pace. He looked up when his current wife came sauntering into the room. "Eleanor, I thought you were going to be out of town."

"And leave you here with her?" Eleanor demanded as she sent Esther a pointed glare that clearly said, _Leave! I want to speak to my husband ALONE!_ The two women had never gotten along ever since Esther found out Mikael was cheating on her with Eleanor and kicked him out – or more or less moved out on her own, allowing him to keep the mansion and moving into an apartment close to Finn & Sage's home.

Esther growled at Eleanor, not appreciating the pointed look she was giving her. "Well, I can clearly see that you two need a moment. Then again, you probably had enough moments to last ten lifetimes."

Eleanor watched as Esther got up and walked out of the room. When she was gone, Eleanor sighed in relief and went over to Mikael, kissing him passionately. Mikael returned her kiss and ran his hand through her hair. He was enjoying the feeling so much that he hated to pull away and separate their lips. Eventually, though, he stepped back, breaking the kiss.

"Thank God you came in when you did, Eleanor," he said. "I couldn't put up with Esther's complaining. If I want to pace, I bloody well will pace." He sighed. "I only apologize that she had to be here."

"Oh, please, I enjoyed making her leave," Eleanor said. "Now, what's gotten you so nervous, love? Maybe I can make it better."

He ran the tip of his finger over the material that pressed what cleavage was exposed and let his other hand pull her against him. "I just found out that two of my sons are going to give me new daughters-in-law," he replied as he lowered his hand at her waist until he could bunch up the material of her skin-tight dress in a fist. "And I'm also going to have a grandson. Rebekah just called before you got here and told me the news herself."

"I think you'll spoil him rotten," Eleanor murmured against the skin of his neck after she loosened the collar of his shirt and nipped at the place she spoke, making him jerk slightly against her. "And obviously, Katherine and Alexia seem to be good for Elijah and Kol, from what I've seen over the past few years that we've been married ourselves."

"I know, and I adore them, don't get me wrong." Mikael sighed as he felt her nip at his neck. "Before long, Niklaus will be proposing to his love, Caroline. Of course, by then, we'll be hearing from Finn that Sage is pregnant."

"Who's to say that she isn't already?" Eleanor said. "She probably doesn't want to upstage Rebekah and is keeping it quiet until the time is right. And you know that the only one we have to worry about now is Henrik."

"Don't remind me," Mikael said. "He's probably got a few girls at school wild for him."

"He can't help himself; he's a Mikaelson, like his father."

Mikael chuckled then swept her into his arms and carried her out of the office and towards the stairs, her laughter echoing through the house as he did.

**Elijah's & Katherine's Apartment – That Same Moment**

Katherine slipped out of her new fiancé's arms then grabbed the shirt he'd worn the night before and put it on, buttoning it up but leaving it open at her neck, knowing that Elijah liked it that way. She tiptoed out of the bedroom without waking Elijah and headed into the kitchen, where she began to softly pull things out to make breakfast for him. She was just mixing the batter when she felt his arms slip around her waist. "I woke up to find my beautiful bride to be missing from our bed, and wondered where she could have gone," he said after sweeping aside her curls to kiss along her neck.

She turned her head and kissed his jaw. "I thought I would be nice and make you pancakes, because I know how much you love them," she tells him softly as she turns her attention back to the batter.

Elijah smiled. "I do love pancakes." He kissed her neck again. "And I love the woman making them."

Kissing her neck one more time, he went to the island in the middle of the kitchen, sat down and watched her. He then thought about the other night, laughing a bit. Katherine heard him laughing and placed the mixed batter on the skillet. "What's so funny, babe?"

"Just thinking about what happened at the club," he replied. "Kol proposed to Lexi not even five minutes after I proposed to you."

"Well, we both knew he was going too eventually," Katherine said. "He's been dating her around the same amount of time you've been dating me." She smiled. "Still it was quite a scene; two Mikaelson brothers asking their beloved girlfriends to marry them on the same night. Before you know it, Klaus will be proposing to Caroline."

"Let's not rush that," Elijah said, remembering that Katherine had said those exact same words to Stefan. "I'm not in a hurry to see Niklaus married yet. He and Caroline only started dating a short while ago. Besides, he's going to be starting at that art school he got into pretty soon and getting engaged before then doesn't sound like a wise choice."

Katherine nodded. "Oh, yeah, I forgot that you mentioned Klaus was going to be going to an art school. And I know that you're not in any hurry to see him married off, I was just making an observation."

She laughed upon finishing that comment, earning her a curious look from her fiancé. "Katerina, what are you laughing about over there?"

"Nothing really, just happy, that's all," she replied, flipping the pancakes over on the skillet with the spatula. "Remember what I said about taking a trip down the aisle before Elena does? Well, I'm getting my wish."

"Yes, you are," he said with a smile as he came back over and kissed her on the lips before heading back to the bedroom to take his shower and dress for the day. He had plans to take Katherine to see her family in Mystic Falls, knowing she wouldn't be happy with him, but he wanted to meet them in person so he could talk to her father in person.

**Damon's Apartment – That Same Moment**…

Elena looked in the mirror just as she finished getting dressed. She had spent the night at Damon's, wanting to keep him company in the wake of getting that letter from his father. She found it strange that the man who had walked out on his family when his children were so young would want to reconcile after all these years. Maybe he was dying and wanted to see his family at least once before he passed? Or maybe he was looking for money? While it wasn't entirely clear, Elena still wanted to be there for her boyfriend.

A few minutes later, she felt a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around her and a pair of soft lips kissing her neck. Smiling, she said, "Hi, Damon. I see you're in a good mood today."

"Of course I am," he replied. "You were a great comfort to me and I appreciate it." He kissed her neck again. "So, what's on the game plan for today, cara mia?"

Elena giggled, liking the way he called her by his Italian nickname for her. "Well, I was thinking of going to Mystic Falls to see my family. I haven't been home in a while and it'll be great to see my parents again." She smiled at him. "And I'd love for my parents to meet you." She saw the look on his face. "Oh, come on, Damon, don't give me that look. They'll love you."

"Your mother will," Damon said. "Not really sure about what your father will think."

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle my father if necessary," Elena said. "I was always able to play the 'Daddy's-Little-Girl' card when necessary. So did Katherine, come to think of it." She turned in his arms and looked into his blue eyes with her brown ones. "Please, Damon? It would make me really happy." She drove the point home by grabbing the back of his head and kissing him passionately.

Damon returned her kiss, moaning against her mouth as their tongues danced. They broke the kiss after a few minutes and he looked into her eyes again. Sighing, he said, "Okay, you convinced me. I'll meet your parents, but only because you insisted."

Elena smiled and kissed him again. "Thank you, Damon. I love you."

**A Few Hours Later – Anna & Jeremy's House**

"JEREMY, aren't you ready yet?" Katherine yelled as she and Elijah finished packing the car that they would be driving in to Mystic Falls. "JEREMY, we're going to leave without you if you don't hurry your butt up!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he called out from the inside before his face appeared in the doorway. Anna was right behind him, and she looked a little green in the face. "Anna wasn't feeling well again, so I had to help her."

Katherine didn't have to guess what that meant. "Jeremy, are you saying that Anna's…pregnant?"

Anna decided to answer the question for her husband. "I am, actually. I took a pregnancy test the other day and it turned blue. So, it looks like you and Elena are going to be aunts, Katherine."

**That Same Moment**

Elena put her suitcase into Damon's Camaro and smiled. Soon, she'd be at her old house and seeing her parents again. It had been quite a while since she last saw them and she sent them emails whenever she could. Still, she missed them terribly. She watched as Damon brought his suitcase out and sighed happily. She was proud of herself for being able to convince him to come with her and meet her parents. Granted, he was a bit skeptical, but she worked her magic on him and got him to agree.

Once Damon had gotten his suitcase into the car, he noticed Elena looking at him. "What?"

Elena giggled. "It's nothing; I'm just admiring how sexy you look today."

Damon looked down at himself. He was dressed in a black V-neck T-shirt, dark blue jeans and black leather boots. He then looked at the blue floral print dress she was wearing and licked his lips. If only they didn't have to leave right now, or he'd throw her over his shoulder, carry her back to his apartment, throw her onto his bed and have his way with her.

Elena noticed how quiet he was and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello, earth to Damon! Are you in there?" When she got no response, she snapped her fingers, which got his attention. "My goodness, you zoned out there for a second. I hope you don't do that while you're driving."

"Sorry about that; I was distracted by my beautiful girlfriend." Damon had a mischievous smirk on his face when he said that, and not waiting for Elena to say anything, he climbed into the driver's seat. Elena rolled her eyes and got in the passenger side, putting on her seat belt as Damon pulled the Camaro out of the parking space.

**In Jeremy & Anna's Car**

"Are you looking forward to seeing Mystic Falls again?" Anna asked her husband as she held his hand, alternating between stroking it over her bare thigh and running the fingers of her free hand over his denim-clad thigh. She knew that he and Bonnie Bennett hadn't ended well but she had also heard that Bonnie was an expectant newlywed.

"It's probably changed since I left," Jeremy replied as he shifted in his seat to ease the discomfort in the seat of his pants.

"It probably has," she agreed quietly.

**In Damon's Camaro**

Elena looked out at the scenery as Damon drove, thinking about how much she was looking forward to seeing Mystic Falls again. She also thought about her best friend, Bonnie Bennett. She had seen how heartbroken Jeremy had been when they broke up, since he had loved her just as fiercely as she loved Damon. Of course, now Jeremy was married and Bonnie had sent an email a while back, saying that she had gotten married and was now expecting a baby.

She was still thinking about it when Damon turned on the radio for a little background music. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, just something to make the trip not seem so quiet. Elena stopped him when she heard the familiar tune of her favorite song, 'Walk like An Egyptian' by the Bangles.

"Turn that up, Damon," she said. "I love this song!"

Not about to deny her of what she wanted, he turned up the radio and Elena started singing along and dancing to the music. Damon watched her and laughed, mostly because he thought she looked cute the way her body was moving to the beat. In fact, if he wasn't driving right now, he'd join her. Instead, he bopped his head and tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, singing along as well.

**Author's Note 2:** What a perfect way to end the chapter, y'all! I hope you enjoyed seeing not only one BUT two proposals from the Mikaelson boys and you'll come back for more excitement in the next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

**_Previously in "Angels in a Centerfold", Kol proposes to Lexi right after Elijah proposes to Katherine, Esther, Eleanor and Mikael make a brief appearance and Elijah & Katherine, Damon & Elena and Jeremy & Anna decide to take a road trip to Mystic Falls so Katherine and Elena can introduce Elijah and Damon to their parents, Grayson and Miranda Gilbert. Anna also tells Katherine that she and Jeremy are expecting._**

**Author's Note:** More appearances from minor characters make their debut in this chapter, and a date will also be taking place for one of our couples.

**Chapter Twelve**

**Mystic Falls – Later that Same Morning**…

"Grayson, wake up," Miranda Gilbert said softly as she shook her husband with enough force to make the bed tremble beneath the weight. "Grayson, WAKE UP!"

"What do you want, Mimi?" he demanded as he rolled over to find her grinning like a school-girl. "I know that look. Our daughters are on their way here, aren't they?"

Miranda nodded eagerly before leaving the bed and he noticed that she was already dressed. "Yes. Katherine and Elena called yesterday to ask us to make up their old rooms, and Jeremy is coming too, with Anna," she tells her husband as she leaves the room to disappear down the hall.

Grayson nodded as he got out of bed and grabbed some fresh clothes from the closet. He hadn't seen his children in quite a while and if they were coming home, it had to be something special. Either that or they were homesick and wanted to see the places they frequented when they were younger.

He quickly showered and dressed, heading down to the kitchen to grab something to eat. As he was eating, Miranda appeared again and Grayson gave his wife a curious look. "Did the girls mention if they were bringing anyone with them? I know you said Jeremy was bringing Anna, but are Katherine and Elena saying anything about bringing anyone?"

Miranda hesitated. She didn't want to tell her husband that her daughters were bringing their boyfriends home with them, knowing how protective he was when it came to his little girls. Instead, she shook her head. "I asked them, and they said no. It was just them."

Grayson raised an eyebrow, not quite believing her. "Mimi, come on, be honest with me. Are Katherine and Elena bringing anyone with them?"

Miranda sighed, knowing that she had been found out. "Okay, okay, you caught me. They did mention that they were bringing their boyfriends with them. Can I count on you not to be your usual overprotective self? I realize that you want what's best for them, but Katherine and Elena are grown women now and they're old enough to make their own decisions."

"Of course I'm protective, Mimi. What father wouldn't be protective of his little girls?" He saw the look she was giving him. "All right, fine, I'll refrain from the 'protective father' routine. I'm sure that whoever they're dating, they're fine young men who worship the ground they walk on."

"That sounds like someone else I know," Miranda replied with a smirk as she moved closer to brush her lips over his in a fleeting caress. "Our daughters will be just fine on their own, and I am sure that Jeremy is doing well with them keeping an eye on him, even though I'm positive that he really doesn't need it, since he is now a married man."

He pulled her in for another kiss, letting this one linger a little bit. "I promise to be on my best behavior during their stay here," he vowed softly to her. She smiled and kissed him again, her slim arms wrapping around his neck.

"You're a good father, Grayson," she tells him as a compliment and he grinned, feeling great when she said that to him. "You kept our daughters in line and I kept Jeremy in line; we work very well together."

Grayson smiled. "That we do, Mimi; that we do."

**Outside**…

Damon pulled the Camaro up to the Gilbert house and couldn't help but be in awe of the place. It was amazing how he had lived here most of his life and never saw the place for himself. Then again, he never visited this part of town, always hanging out with his friends in either the woods or even skipping town altogether and going on road trips to God knows where and doing God knows what. Elena smiled as she saw her old house. "Well, it seems like it hasn't changed much since I was last here," she said. "The house looks the same."

Damon nodded. "It's very impressive. I just wish that we could've hung out together in high school."

"It's okay, really," Elena said. "I know that you had your friends and I had mine." She leaned in and kissed him softly. "Besides, I like the way things are now." She undid his seat belt and hers, grabbing his hand. "Come on; let's go in before I'm tempted to have sex in the car."

Although a bit disappointed, Damon nodded and after kissing her back, got out of the car with her and got their bags out. While that was going on, Elena saw a car pull up and saw Katherine step out, along with Elijah, Jeremy and Anna. Smiling, she went toward them. "Are you ready to see Mom and Daddy again, Kat?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," her sister replied. "I only hope Daddy is on his best behavior. We both know how insanely protective he was when we were growing up. I want him to see how good Elijah is to me." She looked toward Damon, who was carrying his and Elena's bags over. "And I'm pretty sure you want the same thing when you introduce him to Damon."

Elena nodded. "And if all else fails, we can play the 'Daddy's-Little-Girl' card. It worked when we were four, so there's no ready why it shouldn't work now."

Katherine laughed. "Yeah, it did." She grew serious. "Elena, I just found out something when we picked up Jeremy and Anna."

"What? What did you find out?" Elena said. "They're not having problems already, ar they?"

Katherine shook her head. "No, it's nothing bad. It's actually something good. Elena, we're going to be aunts. Anna told me she's pregnant."

"She is?" Elena said. "Oh my God, that's great! Mom and Daddy are going to be thrilled when they find out there's going to be a grandchild on the way, as well as another wedding." She looked at her sister's ring. "It's a beautiful ring, Kat. Elijah is a great guy and I know you'll be happy with him."

Katherine smiled and pulled Elena into a hug. They both turned when they heard the voice of their mother and smiled, turning to one side but keeping their arms linked. "There are my two favorite girls!" Miranda said with soft enthusiasm as she bounded down the steps and moved hurriedly toward the twin women that stood together. "Oh, it is so wonderful to see you!"

"It's great to see you too, Mom," they said in unison as they hugged their mom.

Miranda pulled back and kissed both of their foreheads then noticed her son standing nearby with his wife. "And Jeremy, it's good to see you too," she said as she hugged him.

"Hi Mom," he said, kissing her on the cheek before he pulled Anna into his side. She snuggled into him and smiled at her mother in law.

Miranda then saw the two other gentlemen standing with suitcases in their hands. "And these must be the two men that my lovely daughters have brought with them," she gushed as she stepped forward to shake their hands once they put the suitcases down.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Gilbert. I am Elijah Mikaelson," Elijah said first as he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. Miranda blushed as he did that; he was such a gentleman and he obviously was good for Katherine.

"It's nice to meet you too, Elijah," she said with a smile before turning to the other dark-haired man beside him. "And you must be Damon Salvatore. I remember you; you were the boy that picked on my daughter in high school."

Damon rolled his eyes. Honestly, did she have to bring that up? Why couldn't they see past that to the great guy he was now? "While that is true, Mrs. Gilbert, I have matured quite a bit since then. Elena has more than forgiven me for any pain my actions caused her. I love Elena with everything I am.

Elena took Damon's hand and squeezed it. "Mom, could you please not bring up what happened in the past? He's kind of sensitive about it."

Miranda nodded and looked at Damon. "I'm sorry, Damon, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. If Elena can forgive you for it, I can too. Besides, your mother is a very dear friend of mine."

"Have you spoken with my mom recently?" Damon was certain that the subject of his father trying to reconcile with him would've come up in their many conversations.

"Yes, I have. In fact, I just spoke to her the day before Elena and Katherine called to say they were coming to visit," Miranda said. "You know, Damon, while you're here in town, maybe you can stop in and see her? Elizabetta would have my neck if you didn't at least visit her once during your stay. She misses you so much. There isn't a day that passes without her talking about her 'angel boy'."

Damon nodded. His mother would always refer to him as her 'angel boy', even when he was a teenager. "I'll, uh, make it a point to see her," he said. "I'm sure Elena would love to meet her."

**Back in New York – Donovan's Studio**

April was working on some homework for her French class when a flash went off in front of her, knowing it was Matt taking pictures of her. "You know that I do need to concentrate, don't you?" she asked quietly without looking up from her writing.

He scooted her chair out then had her stand up before sitting down and she resumed her seat in his lap. "I know. But I like seeing you hard at work. It makes you the perfect subject," he tells her as he kisses her neck until he stops at the area where it met the collar of her T-shirt.

"The perfect subject, huh?" she said teasingly back as she dropped her pencil then turned in his arms to bestow a soft, passionate kiss to his lips, her arms wrapping around his neck to run her fingers through his hair and messing it up slightly.

Matt smiled as he felt her fingers in his hair. "Oh, yeah, you are." He returned her kiss and ran his hands up and down her arms, moaning against her mouth as their tongues collided. God, how he loved her and there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

**Klaus' Apartment – That Same Moment**…

"Nik, I'm here!" Caroline called out to Klaus as she walked into his apartment. He had texted her a while ago and told her to come by, that he had something to show her. When she asked what it was in her reply, he said it was something she would enjoy very much and left it at that.

"I'll be right out, love. Just have a seat on the couch."

Caroline smiled when she heard that beautiful accent she had come to love. Not wanting to disobey, she went to the couch and sat down. While she wasn't sure what he wanted to show her, something told her that she was indeed going to enjoy it. Klaus appeared a few minutes later; shirtless and wearing dark blue jeans that had a slight hole in the left knee. Caroline licked her lips at how sexy he looked. "Is that what you wanted to show me?"

Klaus smiled and went over to her, kissing her passionately. "No, love, but I did like your reaction." He took out a canvas that was draped with a cloth. "This is what I wanted to show you. I just completed your painting and I wanted you to be here for the unveiling."

Caroline saw him take the cloth off and gasped in delight when she saw what was underneath. He had portrayed her very tastefully and she saw the detail that went into every brush stroke. "Nik, this is amazing. Thank you, I love it." She kissed him. "And I love you even more."

"I am glad that you like it, love," he says as he pulls her against him, capturing her mouth with his again while walking her backward out of the living room and toward the bedroom doorway, stopping there to let his hands rest above her head. His eyes stayed on her face, watching all the different expressions in her eyes as she concentrated on loosening the belt of his jeans, before it fell onto the floor with a loud _clink_. Once it was there, Klaus picked her up in his arms bridal style then continued on into the bedroom, where he deposited her gently onto the bed, following her onto it.

Caroline smiled at him as he followed her onto the bed, kissing him passionately. Klaus kissed her back just as passionately as he pulled her shirt up over her head and reaching behind her to undo the clasps of her bra, moving down to kiss her breasts before licking the tender nipples with his tongue.

Caroline moaned as she felt his hot breath on her skin, grasping onto his hair with her fingers, the soft strands feeling so silky smooth against her skin. She arched her back and panted, trembling with pure ecstasy.

Moaning even louder, she said, "Oh, Niklaus!" That was the first time she ever said his full name, but it sounded almost a soft prayer and it sent a wave of warmth and desire flowing through her.

Klaus licked his lips upon hearing Caroline saying his full name. She had said it with such raw emotion and it made him fall even more in love with her in that moment. Not even Tatia made him feel this way. In fact, Tatia never made him feel this way. True, he loved her, but Tatia was only interested in sex and nothing else. Caroline was different. She was interested in everything, which was a relief. "That's it, Caroline," he said. "Let me know you're enjoying this."

Caroline nodded and let out a pleasurable scream. Klaus then kissed down her body to her belly button, licking it playfully before undoing the button and zipper of her jeans, pulling them slowly and allowing his fingers to cascade down her legs, causing Caroline to shiver at his touch. "Nik, please…"

"Please what, sweetheart?" Klaus said. "Tell me what you want."

"Don't tease me," she replied. "Just…take me and get it over with."

Klaus smirked. "As you wish, love…" He pulled her jeans all the way down, along with her panties. Feeling himself getting hard to the point of pain, he removed his jeans and boxers, grabbed her hips and glided into her, feeling her wet, hot heat and groaning as he began to thrust, leaning down to kiss her. Caroline returned his kiss and gyrated against his thrusts, keeping in sync with him.

**Two Hours Later**

"Wow," Caroline said with a ragged voice as she rolled off of him after the third round of lovemaking they'd gone through. She covered herself up with the sheet then rolled over until she was on her side with her back to him and moaned slightly when she felt him _right_ behind her, his arms wrapping around her over the sheet and his lips caressing over her shoulder and arm.

"Wow is right," he replied and she turned her head to see a smirk on his face before his mouth moved up and captured hers.

Caroline smiled against his lips as she returned the kiss, nibbling on his bottom lip. "I'm glad you asked me to come over. I had the dorm room to myself because April is with Matt, and Elena went home."

"I'm glad I did too," he replied. "I've become addicted to you, Caroline." He kissed her again. "Before I forget, I have something to give you."

Caroline giggled. "You've given me so much already, Nik."

Klaus smiled and then left the bed momentarily to retrieve the long rectangular box from the dresser before returning to the bed and getting into the position he was in before he left the bed, handing the box to her. "I saw this while I was out and about today and I just had to buy it for you."

Not sure what it was, Caroline opened the box and revealed a diamond bracelet. She couldn't breathe as she looked at it, mostly because it was just so beautiful. In fact, it probably set Klaus back a few thousand dollars. However, it wasn't the cost that mattered. What mattered was that he saw it and thought of her. She turned her head and kissed him. "It's beautiful, Nik," she said. "You didn't have to buy this, but at the same time, I'm glad you thought of me when you saw it. You spoil me, you know that."

Klaus returned her kiss. "A beautiful woman such as you deserves to have nice things."

"I do, don't I?" Caroline said. "Thank you. Not just for the painting and the bracelet, but for being the sweet, loving and caring boyfriend that you've been to me since we started dating."

"It's not hard when I've got a girlfriend I'd do just about anything for," Klaus said. "I'd give you the world, Caroline."

"When you say the world, I know you mean all the places that you would love to take me," she says before turning over and linking her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "And I just might take you up on your offer – after we make love again."

**Tyler's Dorm Room – That Same Moment**…

Tyler rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he walked toward the door that someone was currently almost knocking off the hinges with the loud banging coming from said person. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he groused before finally getting to the door and opening it, finding the _last_ person he wanted to see – the man who had caused so much pain for him and April in high school.

"Mr. Lockwood. I think that you and I need to have a little chat," Andrew Young said as he pushed Tyler back inside before closing the door behind him.

**Author's Note 2:** Uh-oh, what could Pastor Young want?! Let me know what you think his visit is about and if you're a NEW reader, let me know, because I am finally turning 25 TODAY!


	13. Chapter 13

**_Previously in "Angels in a Centerfold", Pastor Young makes an appearance and pays a visit to Tyler, and Elijah and Damon finally get to meet Katherine and Elena's mother, Miranda. Klaus also gives Caroline a diamond bracelet and the finished painting of her in the nude. Matt tells April that she is the perfect subject, no matter what she's doing._**

**Author's Note:** Drama galore for one of our couples in this chapter, so make sure you R&R!

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Tyler's Dorm Room – That Same Moment**…

Tyler rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he walked toward the door that someone was currently almost knocking off the hinges with the loud banging coming from said person. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he groused before finally getting to the door and opening it, finding the _last_ person he wanted to see – the man who had caused so much pain for him and April in high school.

"Mr. Lockwood. I think that you and I need to have a little chat," Andrew Young said as he pushed Tyler back inside before closing the door behind him.

Tyler growled at April's father. "I don't think we have anything to say to each other, Pastor Young."

"Really? You're the one who got my daughter pregnant, so I think we have plenty to say."

"Leave April out of this," Tyler said. "Say what you want to me, but only me. April isn't part of this conversation."

"The last time I checked, April is still my daughter," Andrew reminded him. "And you are going to take me to her, right?"

Tyler gulped. "Right," he agreed reluctantly. He left the room and got dressed in his bedroom then left a note for Hayley in case she woke up and found him gone before leaving with the pastor to go find April.

**Donovan's Studio – Half-Hour Later**

April left the bed where she had been lying awake since dawn began to rise up over the horizon when she heard the soft pounding of someone knocking on the door downstairs. She pulled on Matt's shirt and buttoned it before grabbing a pair of fresh boxers for underneath then moved downstairs, wondering who could be knocking this early and who it actually was, since both of her friends were with their boyfriends at the moment. "Who is it?" she called out once she was close enough to the door.

"April, it's Tyler," her ex said in a strangled reply and she immediately opened the door to reveal that it was indeed him standing in front of her. Then another face appeared behind him and she gasped.

"Daddy, how did you find me?" she asked as he pushed Tyler inside while she backed out of the doorway.

"I hired a PI to find out where you lived then got Tyler here to lead me to where you were staying," he said with a smirk.

Just then, Matt came downstairs, his arms putting a shirt over his head when he noticed that he and his girlfriend had company. "April, what's going on?" he asked as he moved over to stand behind her.

April looked at Matt. "This is my father, Pastor Andrew Young. And you know Tyler." She looked toward her father. "Daddy, this is my boyfriend, Matt Donovan."

Pastor Young nodded at Matt. "I'm pleased to meet you, Matt." He cleared his throat. "Could you give us a moment? I need to speak with my daughter."

Matt reluctantly nodded and walked out of the room, telling April that he was going to be in the next room if she needed him. She nodded and kissed him. Once Matt was out of the room, April looked at her father, not sure why he had come all the way to New York. "All right, Daddy," she said. "What is this all about?"

"Let's sit down, shall we?" he said, gently pushing Tyler toward the couch and April did the same, putting distance between herself and her ex as well as her and her father. "I know that you have been in contact with the parents, April."

April was shocked. "No one knows that but me and Tyler," she ground out.

"Well, now I know too, darling," Andrew said with a smirk. He clapped Tyler on the back. "Your ex-sweetheart explained everything to me on the way here. Did you really think that you could get away with keeping your secret, April?"

"No. But as long as I kept him out of your clutches, then I had free reign over my life!" she yelled, standing up to cross her arms over her chest. Andrew did the same.

"I was trying to keep you from ruining your life, April Whitney Young!" he yelled back.

"You ruined MY life, Daddy! Tyler and I were happy about the baby, and you _ruined_ it for us!" She was in tears by then and Matt came stomping back into the room, folding her into his arms as she cried into his chest.

"I think it would be best if you left now, Pastor Young," Matt demanded in a low tone that didn't suggest; it commanded. Andrew knew he had crossed a line and nodded before leaving the trio alone.

Tyler watched as Andrew left and looked over at April, seeing how upset she was. "I'm so sorry, April. I didn't know he was going to show up."

April sniffed as she turned toward Tyler, her face wet with tears. "It's not your fault, Tyler. I knew he'd find out eventually." She sniffed again and heard Tyler's phone ringing. "I'll be that's Hayley calling to see where you are."

Tyler took out his phone and sure enough, there was Hayley's number. Sighing, he pressed SEND, placing the phone by his ear. "Hayley?"

"Tyler, where are you? I woke up and found you gone."

"I had some…unexpected company," he replied. "My note should've told you that."

"I read it."

Somehow, Tyler didn't quite believe her, but didn't express his doubt. "Look, just sit tight and I'll be home in a few minutes." Before Hayley could answer him, Tyler hung up the phone and looked at April and Matt before standing up. "I guess that's my cue to leave. Again, I'm sorry about this." Then, before either Matt or April could say anything, Tyler walked out of the studio, cursing Andrew under his breath.

**Down in Mystic Falls**…

"Alaric, I'm almost ready to go!" Jenna Sommers Saltzman called up the stairs to her husband, wondering what could have been taking him so long to get ready when all they were doing was driving across town to her sister and brother in law's house.

"I'm coming!" he yelled back. His face finally appeared and she let out a sigh of relief when it did, grinning and shaking her head when she saw that he was carrying not only Gavin but also Hannah.

"Were you two sneaking up on Daddy again?" Jenna asked after he finally put them on their feet and they hugged Jenna gently, their arms wrapping around her pregnant belly.

Alaric nodded. "Yeah, they decided to have a little fun with me, and that's why it was taking me so long to get ready." He smiled at the children. "But, you know I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to play with them."

Jenna smiled at her husband. "Yeah, I know you wouldn't. That's what makes you such a good father." She looked at Gavin and Hannah. "Are you guys ready to go see Uncle Grayson and Aunt Mimi? Elena, Katherine and Jeremy are going to be there too, and I know they'll be happy to see you."

The children nodded enthusiastically and, letting go of her pregnant belly, they went to get their shoes. Alaric followed after them, since he didn't want Jenna doing anything strenuous in her condition, which included bending over or even lifting heavy objects. Jenna loved that Alaric was so attentive to her and sometimes, she didn't know how she got so lucky to be married to such a great guy. If she had to venture a guess, she'd say that it was because he had helped her pick up the pieces of her broken heart after she caught her ex, Logan Fell, in bed with Andie Star, the up and coming news reporter.

A few minutes passed before Alaric appeared again, Gavin and Hannah following him. Jenna was impressed that their shoes were on and neatly tied. "Wow, you are good."

"Was there ever a doubt?" he replied. "Now, come on, let's go before your sister calls and yells at us."

Jenna laughed and took his hand as they left the house.

**Gilbert House – That Same Moment**…

Katherine came down the stairs with Elijah right behind her, laughter settling between them as they walked into the dining room, hand in hand. Katherine stopped when she noticed the extra plates on the table, as well as the extended piece for the table put in place. "Mom, why is there extra plates on the table?!" she called out to Miranda.

Miranda came into the room at her daughter's question. "Because your Aunt Jenna and Uncle Alaric are coming over and they're bringing Gavin and Hannah," she replies, patting Katherine's cheek before leaving the room once again.

Elijah looked at his fiancé curiously, and she explained, "Jenna and Mom are sisters, and Aunt Jenna is married to Alaric Saltzman, who is also a history teacher at Mystic Falls High School. They have two children, Gavin and Hannah, and are also expecting another." She noticed his eyebrow rise and knows that he is eager to hear more. "Gavin was adopted as a baby; apparently the parents were young high-school kids that weren't exactly ready to be parents."

Neither Elijah nor Katherine realized that Elena was listening to their conversation from the other side of the dining room door, closing her hand over her mouth to stifle the gasp that came. "Do you always listen to people's conversations?" a voice asked her and she turned toward the voice, only to find it was her father.

"Daddy, you scared me!" she exclaimed softly, linking her arm through his as they walked toward the living room. They sat down on the couch together, giving each other a smile. "Daddy, do you remember my friend April?"

"Of course I do, sweetie," he replied as he kissed the side of her head.

Elena sighed. "Well, she's Gavin's real mother. She and Tyler Lockwood, Caroline's ex-boyfriend, dated in high school and well…Tyler got her pregnant and after Gavin was born, Pastor Young made her give him up. Don't get me wrong, Aunt Jenna and Uncle Alaric are wonderful parents and I'm sure they're giving Gavin a lot of love, but that's the reason I gasped before. Katherine doesn't know that the high school kids she was referring to were April and Tyler."

Grayson nodded. "I see. Who else knows about this?"

"Well, aside from myself, there's Caroline, Damon, April's new boyfriend, Matt and Caroline's new boyfriend, Klaus," Elena said. "Katherine doesn't know and I want to tell her, but I don't know how to break it to her."

"Well, Elena, I'm sure when the time is right, you'll figure it out," Grayson said. "Then, you can take Katherine aside and tell her what you just told me. You always had a good head on your shoulders, and I know that you'll do the right thing."

Elena nodded. "I hope so."

Grayson smiled at his daughter and kissed her cheek, pulling her into a hug. He had faith in her to do the right thing when the time came.

Katherine came into the room just then and Grayson got up to give his two daughters some time alone. "Elena, what is going on?" Katherine asked as she sat down.

"Katherine, do you remember when we were in high school and Dean cheated on April?" Elena asked to get the discussion started. Katherine nodded, giving her permission to go on. "Well, that night, April turned to someone else – Tyler Lockwood. Her father thought he was not good enough for her, but she ended up pregnant. Our cousin Gavin, he's actually April and Tyler's son."

Katherine gasped. "Oh my God, I had no idea," she said softly. "That would explain why everyone was so secretive about the circumstances around his birth."

"Yes," Elena agreed quietly. "You cannot tell Aunt Jenna and Uncle Alaric, do you promise me?" Katherine nodded then scooted closer to hug her twin sister.

Damon came in at that moment and saw the sisters hugging, smiling at the scene that he watched. Katherine looked up and saw him standing there. Looking at Elena, she got up and went to find Elijah, leaving the couple alone. Once Katherine was gone, Damon went over to sit by his girlfriend, pulling her into a hug and kissed her.

Elena smiled and returned his kiss. "I was wondering where you got to."

"I was outside, talking to my mom on the phone," he replied. "I told her that I was in town and that I wanted to stop in and visit her." He took her hand and squeezed it. "She obviously loved the idea and told me that she couldn't wait to see me again."

"I have no doubt about that, since it's been a while since you've seen her," Elena said. "Does she know about the letter your father sent?"

"No, but I have a feeling the subject will come up."

"Well, like I said, I'm here for you, Damon," Elena said. "You don't have to face this alone."

Damon smiled and kissed her again. "Thank you, Elena. I'm so lucky to have a girlfriend as great as you."

Elena smiled again and returned his kiss, running her fingers through his hair.

In the meantime, Katherine found her fiancé interacting with her mom. They were talking and laughing while they were making the spaghetti sauce and she was glad that they were getting along. The doorbell rang and she moved into the living room to answer it, smiling at her aunt and uncle on the other side, the kids in front of them. "Hi you guys," she said with soft enthusiasm as she stepped aside to let them all in.

"Hello, Katherine, it's great to see you!" her aunt said with the same soft enthusiasm as she pulled the brunette into a fierce hug. Katherine returned the hug then looked down at Gavin, her eyes catching on quickly to the resemblance to both April and Tyler. He had both of their jet-black hair, and April's light blue eyes.

"It's great to see you too, Aunt Jenna," Katherine replied with a soft, sweet smile. Elijah appeared near the doorway that hid a room under the stairs and Katherine turned to him. "Elijah, come here, there is someone I want you to meet." He dutifully stepped forward and clasped her hand in his as they turned to her aunt. "Elijah Mikaelson, this is my mother's sister, my Aunt Jenna. Aunt Jenna, this is my fiancé, Elijah Mikaelson."

"He's your fiancé, huh?" Jenna asked, loud enough for Grayson and Miranda to both hear from in the kitchen.

"Aunt Jenna! No one is supposed to know yet!" Katherine hissed, but it was too late. Grayson was already storming into the room, stopping until he was in front of Elijah. Instead of tackling him to the floor, Katherine watched with a shocked smile as he held out his hand for the taller man to shake.

"I guess I can't really hold onto my daughters for too long, now can I?" he asked with a grin. Katherine squealed before hugging her dad once Grayson and Elijah had shook hands.

Elena, having heard what was going on, walked in, holding Damon's hand. When she saw Jenna, she went over to her, a smile on her face. "Hi, Jenna," she said. "It's great to see you again."

Jenna smiled and hugged her other niece. "It's great to see you too, Elena. You look great." She noticed Damon. "And I see that Katherine isn't the only one with a young man. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Elena nodded. "Jenna, this is Damon Salvatore."

"Ah, yes, the jock from high school," Jenna said with a knowing smile. "I won't pick on you like I heard my sister did earlier today. I know that you two have obviously let bygones be bygones, right?"

"Right," Damon said in agreement. He pulled Elena close and kissed the side of her head affectionately. "And we are very happy together."

Jenna nodded. "As long as you're happy together, that's all that matters. In fact, you two remind me of me and Ric when we were dating."

"Aw, thanks, honey." Alaric came up behind his wife and kissed her cheek. He then looked at Damon and smiled. "Hi. You must be Damon. I'm Alaric Saltzman, Jenna's husband. It's great to see that Elena has such a great guy in her life. Hope you're treating her like a princess."

Damon nodded. "I am. I love Elena very much."

"And I love him," Elena confirmed before kissing him softly.

**Author's Note 2:** Did y'all enjoy this? I truly hope that you did. More to come with the adoption flashbacks and the night that April & Tyler really 'hooked up'!


	14. Chapter 14

**_Previously in "Angels in a Centerfold", Pastor Young makes an appearance and pays a visit to Tyler, then to April and Matt. Jenna, Alaric, Gavin and Hannah come over to the Gilbert's house for a family dinner, and Grayson approves of Katherine's engagement to Elijah. Elena tells Katherine that April and Tyler were Gavin's real parents._**

**Author's Note:** THANKS TO EVERYONE for the birthday wishes!

**Chapter Fourteen**

**New York – Mikaelson Mansion, The Following Evening**…

Rebekah knocked on the door to her father and step-mother's mansion then stepped back to smile at her husband. She looked over her shoulder when she saw not only Klaus and Caroline but also Kol & Lexi and Finn & Sage. She felt Stefan take her hand and gave his a reassuring squeeze, smiling as her head moved until it was nestled into the crook of his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head affectionately. This was the scene that Esther was greeted with when she finally opened the door. "You're all here?" she asked with a smile.

"Hello, Mum," Kol, Finn, Klaus and Rebekah all said in unison as they greeted their mother with a kiss on the cheek as they all came inside the mansion, where their father came into the room with Eleanor at his side. "Hello, Father and Eleanor," they all chorused once again as they politely greeted the couple with hugs and cheek-embedded kisses.

Caroline smiled as she saw what they were doing. She liked that they were such a strong family unit, even though Mikael and Esther were no longer married. Rebekah, after the greeting, came over to her and noticed the bracelet on her wrist. "That's a beautiful bracelet you've got there, Caroline," she said. "Let me guess, Nik got that for you?"

Caroline nodded. "He saw it while he was out yesterday and he thought of me." She noticed how big Rebekah's belly had gotten. "Bekah, are you…"

Rebekah nodded. "Yes. Would you like to touch my belly? Go ahead, I don't mind."

Caroline then gently rubbed Rebekah's belly and felt a kick against her palm, laughing. "My goodness, that's a very active baby."

"He is. That and I think he likes you, and since I have a feeling you'll be joining the family eventually, that's a good sign."

**Salvatore Boarding House, Mystic Falls – That Same Moment**…

Damon pulled up to his old home and found it hard to resist the memories that were no doubt rushing back. Some were good, while others weren't. Elena took his hand and squeezed it to assure him that she was here and that she wasn't leaving his side for anything. Damon smiled at her and they got out of the car, heading toward the front door of the house. When they got there, Damon knocked on the door with his free hand. After about five minutes, the door opened and instead of Elizabetta answering, a young man answered. It didn't take long for Damon to recognize him. It was Zach Salvatore, his cousin.

"Hey, Damon," he said. "I haven't seen you in a long time."

Damon smiled and, letting go of Elena's hand momentarily, hugged him. "Oh God, Zach, how have you been, man? What are you doing here?"

Zach stepped out of their embrace. "I just got back into town. After two tours in Afghanistan, I decided to come home."

Damon then presented Elena. "Zach, I'd like you to meet someone very dear to me. This is Elena Gilbert, the love of my life. Elena, this is my cousin, Zach."

"It's nice to meet you, Zach."

Zach nodded. "The feeling is likewise." He stepped back and opened the door further. "Come on in. I'm sure Aunt Elizabetta will be down any second. She wouldn't shut up about you since you called her."

Damon smiled. "I'll bet."

He then took Elena's hand again and they walked into the house, after which Zach shut the door and they followed him further inside.

**Back in New York**

April pulled out the yearbook that had managed to gather dust in the almost 6 years it had been sitting in the box of memories she'd placed in her closet. She traced her fingers over her name written in the bottom corner of it before opening it to the first page, smiling at all the comments people had written to her before continuing on to go find the picture of her and Tyler at the graduation ceremony. April found it just past the seniors' baby pictures, and there it was. She closed her eyes and felt herself floating back to that day:

___**Mystic Falls High School Gymnasium**_

_His arms went around her just as Elena snapped a photo of them together. "I wasn't ready!" April squeaked out._

_Elena, Caroline, Anna and Bonnie laughed. "Well, too bad, it's going to probably end up in next year's yearbook," Caroline said with a smirk. April glared at her, before she began chasing Caroline around the crowd of students. "I was kidding! Come on, April, you know I was kidding!"_

_**xoxoxo**_

_April felt her face turn into a grimace when she saw her ex playing tonsil in the mouth with the girl she now hated with all her guts. "He's not worth it, April," Elena tells her softly. April nodded before moving on, moving further into the party they had gone too after their parents gave permission – as long as the group of girls promised NOT to drink any alcohol._

_Tyler was hanging out by the refreshment table, talking with some of his football friends and then caught sight of April walking past them. He didn't have to guess where she was going, because he looked over and saw Dean Collins kissing Adrianna Gardner. **This was the thanks he gave April for being his girlfriend?** Truth be told, it made him sick. Deciding not to worry about it, he excused himself from his friends and went off after April._

_He found her out on the patio, sitting on the chairs. "If you ask me, Dean doesn't know what he's giving up."_

_April looked toward Tyler. "Go away, Tyler. I'm in no mood right now."_

_"No, I'm not going away," Tyler said. "You're upset, I can tell from your body language." He went over and sat by her, taking her hands in his. "April, you deserve better than this and I…"_

_He never got to finish because April pulled him to her and kissed his lips roughly and passionately. The initial shock wore off and he returned her kiss, letting his tongue slip into her mouth and moaning as her tongue danced with his._

_Reaching up, he caressed her face with both hands before pulling back. "I, um, I should go," she finally said and was about to bolt from the chair she was sitting in when he stopped her, his hand clasping her wrist and pulling her back into his hard body. He lowered his head and kissed her, angling his head to deepen the kiss once he was sure she wasn't going to run off again. They stumbled together toward the wall behind her, still kissing, and he rubbed his body against hers, trapping her between the wall and his body, groaning when he felt her hands seeking out the hem of his shirt. "Tyler…" She said his name on an uneven, ragged pant when he pulled back to look down into her eyes._

_"Come with me," he said in an equally-hoarse voice, setting her down on her feet before taking her hand in his and leading her toward the front of her house, and out to his truck. She climbed into the driver's seat before him and he pulled her close to him as he drove away from the party. Tyler drove them to his house, where he pulled her toward the back of the property. "There's a cabin here that one of my ancestors built and we can use it to have more privacy."_

_April nodded, waiting until they were safely nestled inside to turn to look at him. Reaching over, she flipped the light switch off before crossing her arms down by her sides and tugging on the waist of her dress until it was over her head and on the floor. Tyler stepped forward and crushed his lips to hers, backing her toward the first bedroom behind the staircase as she lifted his shirt over his head, throwing it onto the floor behind him. He stopped them in the doorway, his hand going up to the clasps of her bra and unhooking them before kneeling in front of her to let his stubble caress her sensitive skin. "You're beautiful," he tells her as he stands back up to peel his undershirt over his head, smirking when he sees her admiring his chest. "You can touch, you know."_

_April giggles then does just that. He can hardly breathe as her fingers and hands explore the firm muscles of his chest and abdomen before she adds her mouth, teeth and tongue into the mix._

_Tyler growled playfully as he felt what April was doing to him. Although he knew that he was probably going to catch hell for this, he didn't care. All that mattered was April and helping her forget what Dean and Adrianna were probably doing right now. In fact, he inwardly wished that Dean was here so that he could rub it in his face. He had always hated that bastard; both for what he had done to April, and for acting like he was the star attraction and everyone had to worship him, like he was some sort of god or something._

_His growls then turned into laughter and April looked at him. "What's so funny?"_

_Tyler stopped laughing and shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about something." He nodded toward the door. "Come on; let's get down to business, shall we?"_

_April smiled and let him lead her into the bedroom, where he scooped her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed, gently laying her down and following her onto it, capturing her lips in a deep and passionate kiss, letting his hands roam across her body before sliding her panties down her legs._

_April panted and trembled as she felt what he was doing and, wasting no time, she pushed him onto his back, pulled off his shorts and underwear, straddled herself onto him and leaned down to kiss him as she rode him. Tyler returned her kiss and moved in time with her gyrations, making sure to make this moment between them count._

April shook her head free of the memories when she heard someone knock on the door to her apartment. She set the yearbook aside and went to answer it, smiling at Matt when he held up a bag that had a delicious smell inside. April sniffed the air then her smile grew even bigger when she smelled Mexican food. "That better be for me," she said, drawing him inside for a kiss.

"It is, don't worry," he tells her, returning her kiss and moaning when their tongues collided. "I know how much you like Mexican, tacos and burritos, so I brought you a variety." She nodded as she opened the bag to pull out the food, placing it on the coffee table in front of them.

**Salvatore Boardinghouse**

Elizabetta Salvatore came downstairs and saw her son and nephew talking. She smiled and approached them. "Damon, my angel boy…"

Damon smiled at her. "Hi, Mom, it's great to see you again." He presented Elena. "Mom, this is Elena Gilbert, the love of my life. Elena, this is my mother, Elizabetta Salvatore."

"It is nice to meet you, Elena," Elizabetta says as she shakes Elena's hand.

"It is nice to meet you too, Elizabetta," Elena said with a soft, sweet smile.

**Author's Note 2:** I was away most of the day today, so an update for this fan fiction and for "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" will be late, but will still be updated nonetheless!


	15. Chapter 15

**_ Previously, in "Angels in a Centerfold," April has a flashback to when she and Tyler hooked up and Elena meets Damon's mother, as well as his cousin, Zach, who is home from serving in Afghanistan._**

**Author's Note:** Make sure y'all check out some of Erin's writings; she's phenomenal at writing D/E and K/C, and I'm proud to have her writing with me!

**Chapter Fifteen**

**_Mystic Falls, Virginia – Lockwood Estate_**

**_After the Hook-Up, Almost 6 Years Earlier_**_…_

_Tyler smiled at April as he watched her sleep, remembering what they just did. He didn't regret any of it, not for anything. He was still looking at her when April woke up._

_"Hi."_

_April smiled at him. "Hi." She kissed him softly. "So, do you regret any of this?"_

_"Hell, no," Tyler said. "I don't regret a damn thing. Do you?"_

_"Hell, no," April said. "You were great. In fact, you were more than great. You helped me forget about that bastard, Dean, and I'm grateful to you."_

_"Hey, I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Tyler said. "You're a very special girl, April, and Dean was blind and stupid not to see that." She nodded slowly, turning until her back was to him. Tyler moved until he was behind her, his hand grasping her chin firmly to turn her face toward him. "April, you don't deserve to cry over him. He's the one who didn't make you smile last night; I was."_

_April smiled despite the tears, her fingers stroking the ones he had at her chin then leaned over and kissed him softly before standing up. "I need a shower," she said in a suggesting tone. She headed over to the adjacent bathroom door and let her head turn to give him a 'come hither' look. Tyler immediately bolted from the bed and rushed to join her, making her squeal with laughter as he closed the door behind them. April turned the faucets on then moaned quietly as his mouth began to explore the skin of her upper body, teeth nipping every now and then, and she finally grabbed the back of his head to fuse their mouths together, moans slipping from their lips when their tongues collided. Tyler backed them into the shower before turning to pull the knob up on the bath head, turning the shower head on above them._

**Salvatore Boardinghouse – Present Day**

Elizabetta brought out tea for everyone and smiled as she saw Damon and Elena sitting at the table, holding hands underneath. It was quiet until she cleared her throat and said, "So, Damon, have you spoken with your brother lately?"

Damon looked at her. "Oh, uh, yeah, sure I have. In fact, I see Stefan quite frequently because the club he has in New York is a very popular hang-out." He cleared his throat then. "Listen, Mom, there's something I have to tell you."

"I know exactly what you're going to say," Elizabetta said. "Stefan already told me."

"He did?" Damon said. "That little weasel, I was going to tell you."

Elizabetta raised an eyebrow at her eldest son. "You were going to tell me I was going to be a grandmother?"

Damon blinked. "What?"

"Yes. Stefan called me the other day and told me that his wife is pregnant," Elizabetta said. "And when he told me it was going to be a boy." She squealed with delight, sounding more like a teenager than a woman who was expecting her first grandchild. "I'm going to spoil that baby rotten, I'll tell you that."

Damon shook his head. How the hell did he not know that Rebekah was pregnant? He then remembered that he had been distracted and didn't quite notice. Finally, he decided to just say what he wanted to say before he lost the opportunity. "Mom, Dad sent me a letter about…oh, a week or so ago." He took the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I didn't open it because I was afraid to read it."

Elizabetta took the envelope from him and opened it, taking out the piece of paper within. Clearing her throat, she began to read the contents of the letter.

"'_Damon,_

_I know that I wasn't exactly the best father in the world to you and you probably hate me for abandoning you the way I did. The truth of the matter is, I was in a very dark place and if I stayed, there was a good chance that I would have hurt your mother, you and your brother. I hope you can forgive me, even though I know that you probably won't. If I were you, I wouldn't forgive me either. I have enclosed my number so that you can call me._

_Your Father,_

_Guiseppe_'"

Elizabetta looked at Damon after reading it. "Well, this is certainly a surprise, considering the fact that I had a PI investigate him."

Elena then spoke. "You had your husband investigated? For what?"

"Bigamy," Elizabetta said. "It turns out Guiseppe was married to another woman while he was married to me. That was the reason he left. In a dark place, my sweet Italian ass, he was afraid he was going to be found out."

**Across Town – Saltzman House**

Jenna had been resting her eyes for a little bit when she heard the doorbell ring. "Alaric, honey, can you get that?" she called out to her husband, her eyes not even opening to know that he was doing just that, his footsteps echoing in soft pounding across the living room and into the foyer, where he greeted someone quietly. "Who is it?"

"It's someone you're not going to believe," she heard him reply back and she jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice closer than what she thought. "Gavin's parents are here, and another young gentleman that the mother brought with her."

"I didn't think they would show up this early," Jenna said as he helped her up off the couch and out into the foyer, where she saw April Young and Tyler Lockwood, and another young man that she didn't recognize. "April, Tyler, it's lovely to see you."

"Hello, Jenna," April said with a soft, sweet smile. "I hope we're not disturbing you."

Jenna waved off her apology. "No, not at all; please, come in," she said politely, guiding the young woman inside with the men immediately following her. "Who is that nice-looking blonde that is with you?"

April giggled. "That is my new boyfriend, Matt Donovan. He's a photographer, and he knows all about Gavin," she tells Jenna as she places her winter coat on the rack by the front door before following the older pregnant woman into the living room.

Jenna looked over her shoulder as the trio followed her and watched as they sat down before she slowly sat on the couch, Alaric joining her. It was quiet between them until Matt spoke first, his eyes looking all around at the interior of the house. "This is a nice place you've got here, Jenna."

"Thank you, Matt," she replied. "It was actually quite old when we first got it, but fortunately, Ric knew a guy who fixed houses, so we were able to get it remodeled for half of what a regular contractor would charge." She cleared her throat. "But, I'm sure you didn't come all the way here just to admire the house, right?"

April shook her head. "No, even though we positively love it. We came here because in our conversations, you wanted to meet with us." She nodded toward Tyler. "I told Tyler about it and he was more than willing."

Tyler nodded. "Definitely. I still care deeply about April, even though she's with Matt and I currently have a girlfriend named Hayley." There was sincerity in his tone as he spoke. Of course, he was still kind of conflicted. True, he loved Hayley, but he was IN love with her. However, he didn't mention that, no matter how great the temptation.

Jenna nodded, seeing him glance down at April and Matt holding hands. "Tyler, can I speak to you in private?" she asked quietly, turning to her husband and nudging him with her eyes focused on the other couple.

Alaric got the hint and cleared his throat. "April, would you mind going to get some tea started in the kitchen for Jenna and you three while I take Matt and show him around the house?" he asked as he stood up. April and Matt both nodded before leaving the room behind the history teacher.

Once they were all gone, Jenna turned back to Tyler. "I see the way you look at April, but you understand that what you two had was in the past, right?" she says, gesturing for him to help her sit down across from him on the couch, which he did in a quiet, polite manner.

"Yes. But I just…I can't get her out of my head. She and I had a rare connection, Jenna, and I know she's moved on, but I'm still going to want her," he says as he runs his hand down his face before hiding it completely behind them both.

Jenna nodded. "Oh, believe me, I know how you feel. Even though I broke up with Logan a long time ago because he cheated on me with that hussy reporter, I still loved him." She gently took his hands away from his face. "Tyler, listen to me. Letting go isn't easy. You're going to have moments when you wish you had what you had back. But, in the end, you'll realize that you'd be missing out on some great things if you don't. I mean, look at me; I never would've met Ric if I allowed myself to pine for Logan.

Tyler nodded as well. "I get what you're saying, Jenna, don't get me wrong, but I just…I feel like every time I see April with Matt, I wish I was with her instead. And you want to know what else? The last time I was with Hayley, I imagined April in her place. How selfish is that?"

**Salvatore Boardinghouse – That Same Moment**…

Jules Crawford pulled her car into the driveway and practically ran up to the front door. She had been out of town for the past several days and she had found out through Brady Garwood, a close friend of hers, that Zach had gotten home from Afghanistan and, wanting to see him, she had all but rushed down to the boardinghouse to see him. She only hoped that she wasn't interrupting anything important. She rang the bell and a few minutes later, the door opened and she smiled widely when she saw Zach. Laughing, she jumped up into his arms and hugged him, almost knocking him over. "Jules, what's gotten into you?"

"I missed your homecoming because I was out of town," she replied. "Brady told me that you were back and I wanted to come and see you." She kissed him. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"My cousin and his girlfriend are here," Zach said. "If you want, I can introduce you."

Jules nodded and climbed down, taking his hand as they walked toward the dining room, where Damon, Elena and Elizabetta had just finished talking about how Guiseppe had been married to another woman and that Elizabetta was having him investigated for bigamy. Zach cleared his throat to get their attention.

Elizabetta looked up and saw her nephew's girlfriend. "Oh, Jules, I wasn't expecting you."

"Yeah, I just kind of popped by unannounced," she replied. "I didn't know Zach was home because I was away." She smiled at Damon and Elena. "He mentioned his cousin and his girlfriend were here."

Zach nodded. "Jules, this is my cousin, Damon, and his girlfriend, Elena Gilbert. They're visiting from New York. Damon, Elena, this is the love of MY life, Jules Crawford."

Elena gasped when she heard the name. "You're the woman who inspired my friends and me to go into the modeling path!" she said with a soft squeal. "We know you're not modeling anymore, but you're a very lovely woman."

Jules blushed. "Thank you, Elena," she said. "I think it's great, also, that you're having Damon do your photos now; he's got a great eye, and so do Matt and Niklaus."

"You've worked with Damon?" Elena asked and Jules nodded.

"Oh, yeah, but I had no idea that he was going to be back in town visiting his mom or else I would have called first," she tells the brunette.

Elizabetta shook her head. "Nonsense, Jules, you're welcome here any time. Would you like anything? I was just about to head to the kitchen and get some of my fresh cannolis for everyone."

Jules smiled. "Oh, that would be awesome, thank you."

Elizabetta smiled as well and walked away, leaving the two couples alone. Once she was gone, Damon looked at Jules. "So, you and Zach are an item, huh? How did he get you to go out with him?"

"It wasn't hard, really," Jules said. "I took one look at him and I fell madly in love with him. Though, I did miss him while he was off in Afghanistan. But, I suppose that's what happens when you're a soldier's girlfriend. You learn to accept the fact that he's off fighting for his country, but you also think that he's fighting for you as well." She smiled at Damon. "You know, Damon, I'll bet you'd look hot in military fatigues."

Elena looked at her boyfriend and smiled as well. "You're right, he would. I can just picture it." She got an idea. "Hey, Damon, why don't you dress up like a soldier for Halloween? That would be awesome."

"I was going to be a vampire for Halloween."

"Even better," Elena said. "You can be a vampire soldier."

**Author's Note 2:** Well, Erin and I hope that you enjoyed your 'daily dose' of 'Angels in a Centerfold' as much as we enjoyed writing it! Make sure you check out our next collaboration, which will be coming onto your computer screens VERY SOON! We will also be having a sequel to 'Angels in a Centerfold', titled very appropriately 'Pages in Between'. Both lines of the lyrics came from the song 'Centerfold' by J. Geils Band, but I think (and Erin does too) that it was a good song to title something after, and we hope that you do too!


	16. Chapter 16

**_Previously, in "Angels in a Centerfold," Damon tells his mother about the letter his father sent him, and Elena finally gets to meet Jules, the woman who inspired her, April and Caroline to go into the modeling career path in the first place. Matt, April and Tyler show up on Jenna and Alaric's front porch to discuss Gavin, and Tyler admits to Jenna that he was still in love with April, despite her being with Matt and he was with Hayley._**

**Author's Note:** Here y'all go – another daily dose of our collaboration. I am enjoying writing with Erin, and I'm hoping that she enjoys writing with me!

**Chapter Sixteen**

**_Mystic Falls, Virginia – Young Ranch Home_**

_**After the Hook-Up, Almost 6 Years Earlier**____…_

_April tiptoed into the living room and was just closing the door when she heard her father's gruff voice call out to her. "You're late, April Whitney Young," he said and she peeked her head around to find him sitting at his desk in the front office._

_"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said as she put her shoes down in the closet just inside the front door then moved into the office to brush her lips over his cheek._

_"You didn't drink, did you?" he asked as he continued to write his Sunday sermon._

_April shook her head no. "No, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Anna and me didn't have any alcoholic consumption or did any drugs last night at the party," she replied like a strait-laced daughter of a preacher._

_"Then why do I smell beer on your breath, daughter?" Andrew Young asked while waiting politely for her answer._

_She didn't realize that she would actually smell like beer or any other alcoholic drink, but then realized that Tyler had been drinking beer. "Um, I can go use mouth-wash to get rid of it," she said before rushing quickly out of the room. April didn't like it when her father gave her one of his usual Sunday morning lectures when it wasn't actually Sunday._

_April headed into the bathroom and took the mouth wash out of the cabinet to wash the beer smell out. Then, she grabbed her toothbrush and brushed her teeth to really get rid of it. As she did, she could've sworn she felt Tyler wrapping his arms around her from behind, whispering into her ear and kissing her cheek, moving down to her neck. April went to turn around and kiss him, but when she did, she didn't see anyone else in the room with her._

_In a soft voice, she said, "Tyler?"_

_No answer. It had all been in her mind, but it seemed real. Deciding to forget about it for now, she turned back to the sink and spot out the remains of her toothpaste._

_**xoxoxo**_

___**Six Weeks Later – Mystic Grill**…_

_April had been having lunch with her group of friends, which included Jeremy as well, when she spotted Tyler coming in with his group of football player buddies. Their eyes met, and then April felt her stomach get upset with her. "I'll be right back," she tells her friends before quickly departing the table and heading quickly toward the restrooms, where she locked herself into a stall, kneeling down in front of it to throw up what she couldn't hold down._

_"April; is everything okay in there?" she heard her friends ask in unison. She sat back from the toilet once she knew for sure everything was gone then flushed it and left the stall to find all four of her friends gathered around the door._

_"Is it locked?" she asked and they all nodded. "I think…I'm pregnant." They immediately rushed forward to encompass her in a gentle group hug, surrounding her with their silent support and she was grateful to have each of them in her life, in their own way._

_**xoxoxo**_

_**Two Weeks Later – The Square**…_

_It takes her two weeks to get up the courage to tell him about the baby, and by then, she is nearing the middle of her first trimester. She sits in the square now, with her earphones held against her still-flat stomach, with Pat Benatar playing and the baby moving a little actively beneath the soft music. Her gaze turns when she hears a twig snap on the ground and finds him standing behind her with hesitation in her gaze. Reaching out with her free hand, she pulls him around the bench she is sitting on and plants him next to her. "The experts have told me in their books that it soothes the baby if you let it listen to music from the outside," she tells him._

_His eyes grow wide. "Baby?" he asked. April nodded, pulling on his hand that she is still holding until it is flat against her stomach over her shirt._

_"That's our baby, Tyler," she tells him softly._

_Tyler felt her stomach and when she told him that she was pregnant and his eyes went wide. He couldn't believe it, but then again, he had a feeling that something like this would happen, since they didn't exactly use protection that night, because he was just so buzzed from the beer and the passion that he and April were sharing. "Does your father know?" There was no disguising the nervousness in his voice as he asked that question._

_April shook her head. "No. Elena, Caroline, Bonnie and Anna do, though, and you know now too."_

_Tyler nodded. "So, what are we going to do?"_

_April kept her voice low as she said, "Well, I'm certainly not getting an abortion. I love this baby already, mostly because it was created out of love, even if its father was a bit drunk at the time."_

_Tyler bit his lip. "Your father smelled the beer on your breath, didn't he?"_

_"Yes, but that doesn't matter," April said. "What matters is how we both feel about our baby."_

_"In that case, I love this baby, no matter how it was created," Tyler said. "I especially love the mother." He saw April blink at him. "You heard me, April. I love you, and I don't care what your father is going to say about it. I'll do everything in my power to provide for you and our baby. I'll even marry so that it's officially a Lockwood."_

_"Tyler, calm down," April said, hearing how excited he was getting as he was talking. "You're going to give yourself a heart attack."_

_"I don't care," Tyler said. "I mean every word I'm saying to you. I love you, April Young, more than anything in the world." He leaned down and kissed her belly. "I love you too, little Lockwood."_

**Present Day – The Square**…

Tyler shook himself free of that memory as he sat on the same bench where he first learned about Gavin. He stared up at the stars in the sky, knowing she was standing right behind him without having to turn around. "This is where it all began, you know," he says softly without looking at her.

She nodded and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Yes, it was. This is where we met every time my father thought I was with one of the other girls in my group of friends. He eventually found us out when your mother of all people caught us making out in a booth at the Grill," she says quietly.

"And then he began to tear us apart, little by little," he continued, finally turning around to find her standing there and looking so beautiful. He couldn't resist standing up to move closer to her, his hand lifting to caress her cheek. "April, I wish things could have gone differently for us back then. I know you are with Matt, but do you ever wonder about what could have been?"

April turned away then, his hand dropping from her face. "Tyler, don't do this," she warns softly, but he doesn't listen as he whirls her back around to smash his lips to hers, moans soft the moment their tongues collide with each other. His other hand comes up and he holds her in place so she can't escape, angling his head to deepen the kiss and take it even further by backing them toward the lamp post next to the bench.

April moaned against his mouth, as her back hit the lamp post. It wasn't a happy moan either, but a scared one. Then, she did the only thing she knew how, she bit Tyler's lip before kicking him square in the groin, causing him to cry out in pain as he fell to the ground. "I didn't want to do that to you, Tyler, but you left me know choice," she said. "What the hell are you expecting to gain from all this, huh? What about Hayley? I know for a fact that she's going to neuter you or even kill you if she finds out what you tried to do. And she will find out, because I'll tell her."

In a strained voice, Tyler said, "No, don't. Hayley doesn't have to know about it."

"She does and she will," April said. "Tyler, I may have loved you back then, but things are different now. I have Matt, you have Hayley. God, don't you even love her?"

"I do love her."

"Then, why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm not IN love with Hayley," Tyler said, his voice still strained. "I'm in love with you."

April shook her head. "You're clearly delusional, Tyler. You know what? Find your own way home, because I'm going back to New York with Matt and leaving you behind. Call Hayley and ask her if she wants to pick you up. And don't bother asking Damon and Elena if they could give you a ride, because I'm going to tell them about this too. Hell, I'm even going to tell Katherine and Elijah so that they leave without you too." She kicked him in the groin again. "Go to hell, Tyler!"

With that, she walked away, leaving him to writhe in pain.

She went to the Gilbert house first, where she found not only Katherine and Elijah but also Miranda & Grayson and Jeremy & Anna sitting on the front porch, admiring the stars. Katherine saw her standing hesitantly in the driveway near her car and she looked at Anna, who got up and joined the brunette to go down to where April stood, pulling her into a soft, fierce embrace. "He tried to kiss me and I had to fight him off!" They both knew that she was referring to Tyler, having all gotten the story from Miranda and Grayson, or rather, just Grayson, since he knew from when Elena had told him.

"Shh, it will be okay," Katherine and Anna said in unison to calm her down. April shook her head, knowing that she had to tell Matt – and fast.

"Elijah and I will take you," Katherine said, before turning to give her fiancé a stubborn look that said she needed his help. "Anna, you stay here with Jeremy and call Elena, okay?" Anna nodded and moved slowly back up to the porch, where Jeremy met her halfway. Katherine got into the driver's seat while Elijah climbed into the back seat and April climbed into the front passenger's side. Katherine drove them to the Salvatore boardinghouse without having to know how to get there, since she was slightly familiar with this town and the ways of getting around it.

Damon and Zach were standing outside the front door of the boardinghouse, hanging out together while Elena and Jules were spending some time with Elizabetta inside. Suddenly, Zach saw some headlights coming up the driveway and said, "Damon, I think we have company."

Damon didn't have to guess who it was because he saw Katherine stepping out of the car, along with April and Elijah. Something had to be up if they were showing up here. Excusing himself from Zach, Damon went over to Katherine, a curious look on his face. "Katherine, what's going on?"

"Tyler got fresh with April," she replied. "Or, rather, he tried to get fresh with April. Thankfully, our girl knew how to fight him. I told Anna to call Elena before we left. Hopefully, she's calling her as we speak."

Damon bit back a curse. This was just terrific. "So, what are we going to do about Tyler? He obviously has problems if he thinks that April is going to take this lightly. Hell, he makes Tatia look tame in comparison."

"You and I can pay a little visit to Mrs. Lockwood," Elijah suggested as he walked up with April, who wasn't saying anything, but wringing her hands over and over. Damon noticed this right away, and tugged her hands away from each other, looking over at Zach.

"Zach, would you mind taking Ms. Young into the house? Elena will take care of the rest," he suggested to his cousin. Zach nodded and put a gentle arm around April's shoulders, guiding her into the boardinghouse, where Elena met them in the foyer.

"April, I just heard! Are you okay?" she asked, but April didn't answer her. It was as if she had been frozen into a state of shock. Elena snapped her fingers in front of her friend's face and it snapped her out of the shock pretty quickly.

"He hurt me, Lena, and I can't allow him to be around our son," she tells Elena, who nods.

"We will handle him when the time is right, okay? For now, I'm going to get you some tea and you, me, Damon's mother, and Jules can sit down together and discuss the situation. Jules' friend Brady is an attorney, and I know he'll help us," Elena said as she replaced Zach's arm around April's shaking shoulders and guided her into the dining room.

**Lockwood Estate – Later**…

Carol Lockwood heard a knock at the door and, not sure who would be coming by at this time, answered it and saw Elijah and Damon standing there. She gave them both curious looks, obviously wondering why they were here. "Damon, what's going on?"

"Carol, it's about Tyler," he replied. "Something happened between him and April Young in the square earlier. Apparently, he…"

"I know all about him and Ms. Young," Carol said. "I caught them kissing in a booth at the Grill six years ago. Is that what this is about? If it is, it's a little too late."

Elijah decided to speak then. "Mrs. Lockwood, your son tried to get fresh with Ms. Young and she fought him off. Apparently, he doesn't quite understand that she has another young man in her life, Matt Donovan, Damon's friend."

Carol nodded, seeming to understand. "Where is Tyler now?"

"Still in the square, I think," Damon said. "That's where April left him after she fought him off. Tyler is obsessed with her, Carol, and it needs to be either controlled or stopped altogether. My cousin's girlfriend has a friend who is a lawyer and if we have to, we'll get a restraining order against your son."

Carol sighed. "All right, I'll make sure that he stays away from Ms. Young. There won't be any need for a restraining order."

Once Damon and Elijah were gone, Carol bundled herself into her winter coat and left the house, driving into the square, where she indeed found her son still nursing his wound from April. "Tyler, what were you thinking?!" Carol asked as she helped her son up off the ground.

"I love her, Mom, but she doesn't want anything to do with me. She probably doesn't want me in Gavin's life either," he said in his still-strained voice as he slowly got into the front passenger seat of his mother's car.

"Gavin? Who is Gavin?" Carol asked, not knowing that April had been pregnant when she caught her son kissing the brunette.

"He's your grandson, Mom," Tyler replied as gently as he could tell her without wanting her to freak out on him.

"He's my WHAT?!" Carol screeched, her voice rising slightly, angry that her son had kept such a big secret from him.

"Pastor Young forced April to sign some papers that had Gavin adopted," Tyler explained. "And it was Mr. and Mrs. Saltzman that adopted him."

"Jenna and Alaric adopted him," she said, her voice lowering once again. Tyler nodded.

"Yes, and I know she's going to fight me every step of the way, but you can help me. You and Dad can help me. Uncle Mason is a lawyer, isn't he?" Tyler asked.

Carol nodded. "Yes, he is."

"Good," Tyler said. "I'm going to need his help on this. I suppose April has someone on her side?"

"Yes, Damon told me that his cousin's girlfriend has a friend who is a lawyer," Carol said. "So, we're probably going to have a fight on our hands." She sighed. "Tyler, I should tell you that they threatened to get a restraining order against you if you didn't control your behavior. They said that you were obsessed with her."

"Obsessed? Where the hell did they get that impression?"

"Your actions spoke volumes, especially to them," Carol said. "But, if you still want your uncle to help you, then I suppose we can proceed with this. Be prepared, though, because I wasn't lying about having a fight on our hands. This lawyer that Damon's cousin's girlfriend knows is probably brutal in the court."

"Uncle Mason is just as brutal, so we'll have no problem," Tyler said. "Mom, I want to fight this to the end. Gavin is my son and I want to be a part of his life whether April wants me to be or not."

**Author's Note 2:** I hope that you enjoyed seeing more flashbacks of April and Tyler's brief 'romance'; fortunately, you will only have to see one more in the next chapter, when she goes into labor and her father forces her to sign the papers several hours after Gavin is born. Erin and I hoped that you enjoyed coming along for the ride of 'Angels in a Centerfold' and that you'll enjoy more of our fan fictions in the future!


	17. Chapter 17

**_Previously, in "Angels in a Centerfold," Tyler has a flashback to where April told him about Gavin, and tries to kiss her. April fights him off and goes to tell everyone about what happened. Elijah and Damon then inform Carol about the incident and when she goes to Tyler, he says that he wants to fight April for custody._**

**Author's Note:** A little more drama pops up in this chapter; hope y'all are ready for it! The flashback will come near the end, when we have an interruption of Jenna going into labor.

**Chapter Seventeen**

**New York – Several Months Later**…

April tried not to let her nerves show as she waited outside the courtroom. Today was the start of the custody battle and she wasn't looking forward to going through with it. However, she did have Brady Garwood, arguably the best attorney in the country as well as Mystic Falls, representing her, and her friends were all going to be there to support her as well. The first one to arrive was Caroline, Klaus following behind her. A feeling of déjà vu ran through him as he remembered the bitter custody battle that Mikael and Esther got into following their divorce. It was so bitter; in fact, it made the Battle of Gettysburg look like a tea party. In fact, Klaus still resented having to sit through it, and he was even tempted to voice his opinion whenever he saw Esther.

Caroline hugged April, letting her know that she was there with her. "Tyler is making a mistake, April. I mean, he's putting a child through this and for what? Just so he can get back at you?"

"I know he is," she replied. "I tried to get him to change his mind, but he's being a stubborn bastard about it. Can you believe he's gotten his uncle involved?"

"The boy is an idiot," Klaus said, finally speaking up. "Obviously, he has no idea just how emotionally scarring things like this are. I would know, having gone through it myself."

Caroline, hearing what he said, went over and hugged him before looking at April. "I happen to agree with Nik. Tyler doesn't realize that he's going to scar poor little Gavin for life. Not to mention it's going to cause a lot of stress for his adoptive parents as well."

"No, it won't," Jenna's voice sounded from behind them. "We've decided to give Gavin up. He's more your child, April, than he was ours. He deserves to have you in his life again."

April tears up when Jenna says that and kneels down until she is at Gavin's level, smiling through her tears when he came running into her open arms. "He knows where his true place is then," yet another voice spoke up and April stood up with Gavin still in his arms to find both of her exes standing in front of her. Tyler had both of his parents flanking him, and Dean stood off to the side, his hand locked with Adrianna's. Hayley stood on the other side of her sister.

"His true place is with his mother, you bastard!" Matt's voice interrupted the conversation before it could even start. Tyler let out a huff then stomped into the court room with his mom and dad right behind him. April and Caroline turned to glare at the two sisters and April's ex that still stood in place.

"We're all here to support you," Hayley explained with a brief liaison of a smile. "I ended things with Tyler after you told me what happened, and I told Adrianna & Dean what happened and they agreed to help support you."

April was skeptical but still set Gavin down to step forward and hold out her hand for the taller brunette to shake. "If you say that's true, then we'd be glad to have you support us through the battle. Gavin is going to need someone to look after him while we're in there."

Hayley nodded. "It's true, and I'm sorry if I acted so horribly in the beginning." She looked at Caroline. "That goes double for you, Caroline. I hope we can still be friends."

Caroline looked up at Klaus, who nodded and then she looked back at Hayley, nodding as well. "Sure. I've already gotten over Tyler anyway, so I'm going to let bygones be bygones."

April and Hayley shook hands before April knelt down in front of her son. "Gavin, Momma is going to be right in there," she said, pointing with her index finger over her shoulder to the closed doors that led into the court room and he nodded that he understood what she was telling him. "Dean, Adrianna and Hayley are going to stay out her with you and your other Mommy so that you won't have to go in, okay?" He nodded again, hugging her around her neck with a light fierceness. April felt tears stinging her eyes before she let him go and stood up to move into Matt's open arms.

"I'll be sitting right behind you, okay?" he whispered into her hair, stroking the dark curls she had put down past her shoulders to look presentable for the court. April nodded, her arms tightening around his waist and he felt her body shaking with sobs. "Hey. Hey, look at me." Matt cupped her chin in his hand and made her look up at him. "We are going to win this, and you want to know why? Because a little boy that is sitting right over there deserves to have his mother's love surrounding him, and Tyler won't give that if he's still hung up on the past."

Matt always knew the right things to say and she nodded fiercely, loving that he was here with her. "When we get through today, I want the world to know that I love you," she tells him. He nodded, leaning down to kiss her softly. Pulling out the box from the pocket of his suit pants, he knelt down in front of her and looked up at her. "Yes, a thousand times yes," she said. Matt stood back up and claimed her lips in another soft, passionate kiss before sliding the ring onto her finger.

Caroline smiled as she saw Matt propose to April and looked at Klaus. "Oh, Nik, isn't that beautiful?"

Klaus smiled as well, holding her close to him. "Indeed it is. April is certainly lucky to have Matt in her life." He looked at her. "And I'm certainly lucky to have you in my life, Caroline."

Caroline giggled and kissed him. Klaus felt the passion in that kiss and he knew why. She was looking forward to the day that he would propose to her, and he fully intended to make her wish come true. Since Elijah and Katherine's wedding was coming up soon, he planned on proposing to her at the reception. When he and Caroline broke their kiss, Klaus looked at Matt, clearing his throat. "Not to break this moment up, but I believe they're expecting us inside."

Matt nodded. "You're right." He looked at April. "Are you ready, beautiful?"

April nodded. "You bet I am."

They walked into the court room hand in hand, with Caroline and Klaus right behind them, and Matt gave Tyler a triumphant smirk as he sat down behind April, a look that clearly said, _I got the girl and you didn't!_ Tyler glowered back at him before he felt his mother pinch him in the arm to pay attention. He turned back around and April didn't feel bad for him; she was just going to gloat in his face when the time came that he wasn't going to be able to see his son. "Please rise," the bailiff said in a gruff voice and everyone in the nearly packed court room stood on command and April took the time to see the hidden emotion of remorse in her ex's eyes, but she quickly turned away when she felt her new fiancé squeeze her hand and smiled at him over her shoulder.

After both parties were sworn in, Mason Lockwood stood up to present his opening statement. "My nephew, Tyler Lockwood, needs your help, ladies and gentlemen. He needs your help because he has a son that he loves very much. A son whose life he wants to be a part of." He pointed toward April. "But, the young lady, a Ms. April Whitney Young, seated with my opponent wants to take that away from him. She wormed her way into his life at a graduation party, where she seduced him and eight weeks later, she tells him that she is pregnant with his child. Now, supposedly, said child was given up for adoption. But, I know better. Ms. Young clearly had the child hidden away from Tyler and it seemed like he was given up. Your job today, ladies and gentleman, is to make sure that Ms. Young pays for what she's done to my nephew and to see to it that a little boy gets to be with his father."

When Mason was finished, he returned to his side. Brady, who was listening to this, rolled his eyes as he stood up. "That was a very impressive statement Mr. Lockwood just gave, wasn't it? Too bad it wasn't entirely true. He claims that his client was seduced by my client and that she hid their child away after he was born. That, my friend, is a lie. The child wasn't hidden, it was given up; an act that was set in motion by Pastor Andrew Young, my client's father, because he was embarrassed by the fact his daughter had sex before marriage. To prevent any further embarrassment, he made my client sign papers that had the child adopted, and he has since then been loved and cared for by Mr. Alaric Saltzman and his wife, Jenna. Mr. Lockwood is looking to deceive you, my friends. Don't fall for his lies, because all my client wants is to be in her son's life, because that's what she's wanted all along."

**Half an Hour Later – After the Opening Arguments**

"You rotten bastard, you will pay!" April screeched as she flung herself at Tyler. "I _never_ seduced you! You were a willing participant, do you not remember that?!" Tyler didn't move as she attacked him before Caroline pulled her back then slapped him across the face.

"April is right. You will pay for what you're doing to that precious little boy," she said, pointing to where Gavin played checkers with Dean. "He wants both of his parents and you're just going to rip him from April's arms? What kind of a father does that make you?"

"It makes me a father that will make sure he is provided for," Tyler said with a low growl.

Klaus growled at Tyler as well. "You don't deserve that little boy if those are the tactics you're resorting to."

"I think I do deserve them," Tyler said. "And by the end of this trial, Gavin will be going home with me. And there's nothing you can do about it."

His reply made Klaus growl even more and he punched Tyler in the face, causing his nose to bleed. "I just did do something about it."

Caroline smiled at Klaus. "Thank you, Nik."

"Yes, thank you, Niklaus," they all heard Elijah's voice speak from behind them. "I was about to set his nose back away into his face, because it didn't look like it belonged there."

From where he stood behind April, Matt let out a soft snicker. "If he hadn't volunteered to be next, I would have stepped up as well," he tells Tyler with the same smirk he'd given him earlier.

Tyler growled again before heading toward the bathroom, where Hayley was standing with her arms crossed over her chest. Tyler rolled his eyes at his ex-girlfriend. "Don't start with me, Hayley."

"You deserve to get punched, you know," she replied. "You can't do this and expect things to work in your favor. Gavin deserves better than this."

"My uncle is a great lawyer and we will win," Tyler said. "If you think differently, that's your business." Not giving Hayley a chance to reply, Tyler walked into the bathroom.

Hayley went back to where the group was laughing to keep away the seriousness of the earlier situation. "Did I miss anything?" she asked with a brief liaison of a smile. They all looked up at her, before April was the first to stand up and pull her to sit down with her and Matt.

"No. We were just laughing about what Klaus did to Tyler," April responds with a smile to ease away Hayley's fears.

"April, they're ready for us," Brady said from the doors of the court room, where he is poking his head out. "Where's Tyler?" April shrugged, not really caring about where her ex was. She stood up and tugged on Matt's hand and he dutifully followed her back into the court room, and so did Caroline and Klaus. Hayley decided that Dean and Adrianna were capable of watching Gavin with Jenna's supervision, when they all heard Jenna cry out in pain.

Alaric was by his wife's side in an instant. Before he could ask her what was wrong, he saw blood in the front of her dress. She was in labor. He looked toward the group. "Guys, Jenna is in labor. I have to get her to the hospital right now."

They were all scared, but Katherine stepped forward. "I'll drive you. Elijah can stay here and keep me updated on the trial," she tells her uncle, who nods and they help Jenna outside to the parking lot, where Alaric climbed into the back of the SUV he drove with Jenna, handing Katherine his keys to start the car.

She drove them at a steady pace to the hospital, refusing to go over the speed limit, finally getting there in just a little under 45 minutes. Katherine got them close to the door then went to park the car once they had gone inside before heading that way herself.

**Meanwhile**…

Back at the courthouse, April couldn't stop herself from worrying about the woman who had taken such good care of her precious little boy and if she was going to be okay. As she listened to Mason Lockwood drone on and on about how she was not good enough to be in Gavin's life, she remembered the day she had gone into labor:

_**Five Years Ago – Gilbert House**_

_Miranda and Grayson were kind enough to take her in when her father kicked her out, since she and Elena were so 'tight' and they always looked out for each other. April had somehow shifted onto her side and she was up in an instant when she felt a twinge of pain in her stomach. Elena, who had been sleeping next to her, shot up as well, her fingers gripping onto April's. "Is it time?" the other brunette asked and April nodded in a quick, silent manner. Elena dropped her hand and ran at a steady pace down the hall to her parents' room. "Mom, Dad, it's time!"_

_"It's time," Grayson confirmed when he came into the room to check on April's status. "Miranda, could you go start the car please?" Miranda nodded and rushed out the front door, remembering to grab the car keys from the bowl on the front entry table. They all heard the engine come to life outside as Grayson helped April to her feet, sweeping her into his arms like he would have done with his wife and carried her out of Elena's bedroom, taking her downstairs and out the front door._

_**Mystic Falls Medical Center – Later On**_

_April was in a tremendous amount of pain by the time they got her to the hospital. Once she was checked in, she was wheeled to the Labor and Delivery room to be prepped. Shortly afterward, Tyler showed up, having heard from one of his friends that April was here and although it wasn't specific as to why she was there, Tyler already knew. She was about to have the baby. He saw Grayson, Miranda and Elena in the waiting room and immediately went to them, trying to stay calm despite being in somewhat of a panic. "Dr. Gilbert, where's April?"_

_Grayson looked at Tyler. "They took her to Delivery to be prepped." Curiously, he added, "How did you find out that April was here?"_

_"One of the guys told me," Tyler said. "Although he wasn't specific, I knew why she was here." He ran a hand through his hair, saying nothing more. Elena noticed just how nervous he was and bit her lip. Her parents didn't know he was the father of April's baby. The only ones who did were herself, Caroline, Bonnie, Anna and Tyler._

_Just then, the doctor that Grayson often worked with came into the waiting room and spotted Tyler. "Are you the father?" he asked and Tyler nodded. "She is asking for you." Tyler nodded again and followed the doctor out of the room and down the hall to where April was._

_As soon as he came into the room where April was prepped, her head turned and she smiled in a weak, tired manner, her hand extending to Tyler, who stepped forward to clasp it in his own. With his other hand, he picked up the cold, wet cloth from the small basin on the tray then used it to wipe her forehead. Then Tyler leaned down and pressed his lips to that forehead in a soft, gentle caress. "We're going to get through this, together, you and me," he whispered to her._

_April weakly nodded, but before she could say anything, she was cut off by a surge of pain that caused her to let out a scream. The nurse at the foot of the bed checked her and saw that she was fully dilated. "All right, April," she said. "I want you to push for me."_

_"I…I can't," April said. "It hurts too much."_

_Tyler, hearing what she said, turned her face so she was looking at him. "You can do this, April. I know it hurts, but it will all be worth it once the baby is out. I'm right here, and I'm not going to let you give up._

_April said nothing to that, knowing that anything she did say would fall on deaf ears. She faced the front again and pushed as hard as she could. The nurse saw the baby's head crowning and smiled. "I see the head, April. You're doing great. Keep going."_

_April pushed again, a little bit harder this time, and the head came all the way out, followed by the arm and shoulder. Tyler kissed her forehead again. He was proud of her, not just for being strong in that moment, but for being her. Feeling him kiss her forehead, April squeezed his hand a little tighter as she pushed one more time. No sooner did she do that than she heard the first cries of the baby at the foot of the bed._

_The doctor looked at the clock and said, "10:15, baby boy."_

_Tyler smiled at that and looked at April. "Did you hear that, April? It's a boy. We have a son."_

_Once the umbilical cord was cut and the baby was cleaned and weighed, they brought him over to April, who instantly took him into her arms, giving him a warm, motherly smile. "Hello there, little guy. Mommy and Daddy are so happy to finally meet you."_

_Tyler put an arm around April's shoulder as they admired their son together, before their eyes turned to the doorway when they heard the soft shouts from down the hall. "I want to see my daughter!" It was Andrew Young and they both knew their time was going to be cut short. Tyler delivered a quick peck onto April's soft lips then kissed their son's forehead before departing the room via the window. "April?" She heard him still at the window and she turned her head, blowing him a kiss, both for her and for their son._

_Andrew came into the room, fury shining in his expression when he saw his daughter sitting in the bed. "Daddy, come meet your grandson," she says, patting the bed next to her legs._

_The fury turned to remorse when he saw how happy she was before changing back once again. "April, I told you to stay away from that boy, and now, I'm going to have to do the only thing I can think of to make sure you never see him again," he said in a low, warning tone._

_April shook her head, tears filling the corners of her eyes. "No. No, Daddy, you can't take my child away from me," she said in a choked voice. But he didn't listen. He nodded to the nurse, who gently took the newborn baby boy from her arms and carried him out of the room. "NO, DADDY, DON'T DO THIS!" She began to sob even when she heard the rustle of papers and she looked to find him pushing a pen into her shaking fingers, the papers he wanted her to sign on the tray in front of her and she forced herself to sign her name in a neat script before rolling the tray away from her and turning her back on her father._

_Andrew saw April turning her back on him. "This was for your own good, April. That baby deserves a family that will give him a good life. You're eighteen, and you're not ready for the responsibility that goes into having a child."_

_April sniffed and refused to look at him as she replied, "Go away, Daddy. I hate you."_

_Instead of reacting to her response, Andrew simply growled and walked out of the room. In his mind, he knew he had done the right thing, even if April didn't see it that way._

**Present Day – New York Courthouse**

Andrew slipped into the courthouse unnoticed by his daughter, sitting in the only available chair that was left in the back, which, incidentally happened to be on her side of the room. He watched as the lawyers went back and forth with their arguments then slipped back out again. Pulling out his cell phone, he sent a quick text message to his daughter: _I'm outside if you want to talk to me._

Inside, April felt her cell phone vibrate with a new text message and she let her fingers move over the screen to read it quickly before sending a reply back: _Can't leave at the moment, but I'll have Hayley sent out, okay?_ April turned to smile at her fiancé, motioning him forward until she could whisper in his ear, "My father is outside and wants to talk to me."

"I'll go," he whispered back and kissed her quickly before departing the court room to find Andrew Young outside. "Pastor Young, it's nice to see you again."

Andrew nodded at Matt. "Matt. I wanted to speak with my daughter."

"About what exactly?" Matt had a skeptical look on his face. Since Andrew hadn't exactly been courteous when they last saw each other, he wasn't sure if he was going to be that way again.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I acted," the pastor replied. "I never meant to cause a rift between us. I was only trying to be a good father."

Before Matt could say anything else, the doors to the court room opened and April came out, a big smile on her face. "The judge made his ruling. I got Gavin!" she said as she leapt into Matt's arms and kissed him soundly.

"That's great, beautiful," he said as he set her down but kept her in his arms. He turned to her father and her smile turned into a frown.

"Daddy, what are you doing here?" she asked softly.

Andrew stepped forward to hold his daughter to him. "I'm sorry," was all he could say to her. As she began to sob when he said those words, Andrew held her tighter, stroking her hair and rocking with her.

She finally pulled back to look up at him. "I'm sorry too. I never hated you back then, but you did take away the one thing that meant everything to me," she tells him as she wipes her eyes.

He nodded and helped her, hugging her again and kissing the top of her head. "I want to be a part of your life, sweetheart, if you'll let me," he tells her.

April nods. "I'd like that very much, because I'm going to be giving you not only a grandson, but also a son-in-law," she says sheepishly as she holds up her left hand for him to see the ring Matt had given her.

**Author's Note 2:** I hope that you have enjoyed taking this journey with Erin and myself, because it has taken endless amount of writing to get where we are today, almost 3 weeks after we debuted this fan fiction. The epilogue will be divided into three different parts, for each of our couples, and we also hoped that you enjoyed seeing the rift between Andrew & April end once and for all.


	18. Epilogue, Part 1

**_Previously, in "Angels in a Centerfold," April wins custody of Gavin over Tyler, and Matt proposes to her before they appear in court. Andrew and April finally reconcile after he apologizes to her about taking Gavin away. April also remembers the day when she went into labor after the same thing happens to Jenna at the courthouse._**

**Author's Note:** A wedding for the beginning of our couples? Am I good or what?! I enjoyed reading all the comments y'all made, even if there was very few of them.

**Chapter Eighteen**

**New York – One Year**** Late****r**…

**_Song: Lucky  
Artists: Colbie Caillat & Jason Mraz_**

April smiled at her friends as they helped her prep for her wedding to Matt. Caroline placed the crown of flowers on her head, pinning them in place then placed the veil in between at the back. "You look beautiful, April," Katherine said from behind them, her hands resting protectively over her very pregnant stomach.

"Kat is right. You look very beautiful," Anna agreed as she rocked her and Jeremy's almost year-old daughter, Penelope.

**Elsewhere**

Damon noticed that Klaus was looking anxious in the groom's dressing room. "Dude, will you relax? You look like me when I got that letter from my father last year."

"I can't help it," he replied. "I wanted to propose to Caroline at Elijah and Katerina's wedding last year, but we kept getting distracted, so I'm hoping to do it at the reception later." He looked at Damon. "What about you, mate? When are you going to propose to Elena? Katerina has already made her trip down the aisle, so it's time for the other twin to marry."

"Oh, I have the same plan you do," Damon said. "While Matt and April are having their first dance as husband and wife, I'll take Elena somewhere nice and quiet." He took out the box in his pocket containing the ring he had purchased two weeks ago. "Then, I'll get on one knee and I'll open this as I ask her to be my wife."

"No fair," Klaus said. "I was going to do that exact same thing."

"Klaus, come on, you're an artist, be creative," Damon said. "Don't copy me. Caroline would want something romantic and original, not something you copied off of your best friend, or your brothers, or my brother, or my cousin."

Klaus glared at Damon. "I get the picture." He fingered the box in his pocket. "I don't know what I can do, but I'll figure something out. I love her, Damon, more than she can possibly know. She's interested in everything, whereas Tatia was only interested in sex."

Damon cringed at the mention of Tatia. "Don't remind me."

Matt came in just then, still just dressed in his shirt and pants and minus his tuxedo jacket. He noticed his best friends looking at him curiously before he asked, "What?"

"Matthew, my mate, why aren't you ready yet?" Klaus asked as Damon nodded in agreement next to him.

"I've lost something that I got for today and I thought I'd brought it with me to the church, but now I can't find it," Matt replied, his eyes searching frantically around the room.

Damon saw that his friend was in a panic. "Matt, calm down, buddy, you're going to give yourself a heart attack. Now, retrace your steps. Where was the last place you remember seeing it?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, Matthew, try to remember the last place you had it before you misplaced it."

Matt took a deep breath to calm down, moving around the room at a steady, slow pace, letting out a soft yell of triumph when he found the object he had been seeking; placed neatly in his tuxedo jacket all along on the chair where he'd had his jacket. "I would be very upset with me if I lost this. I'm giving it to Gavin as a gift," Matt explained to his friends and photographers. He held up the 'gift' for the son of his bride to be; it was a document to legally adopt Gavin as his own.

"That's great, Matt," Damon said with a grin as he hugged the groom to be. "I hope Gavin will be happy to have you as his father."

Klaus nodded. "I'm glad that you're going to do this, Matthew. You and April deserve to be happy," he tells Matt before hugging him as well.

Matt smiled as his friends hugged him. "Thank you, guys. April is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love her. I even love Gavin. They both mean the world to me."

"We know, Matt," Damon said. "You'll be a great father to Gavin. Hell, you'll be a better father to Gavin than Tyler."

**In the Bridal Suite**

"Okay, it's tradition time!" Anna said in a soft yell so she didn't wake her daughter, sleeping in the godmother's arms. She had carefully selected April, because she had the best experience when it came to being a mother and she was going to need all the help she could get, and Jeremy would need it too, from Matt. "Here is my something old…" Anna handed April the 'old' gift and the brunette opened it as best she could with one hand.

"Anna, it's beautiful," April gasped once she saw what was inside.

"It's my old locket, that has our picture from high school," Anna said. "Wear it in good health."

Caroline smiled and said, "The something new is obvious. You have Gavin, and your dress." She then gave her a box. "This is something borrowed."

April opened it and giggled at Caroline's gift. "Thank you, Caroline," she said as the blonde hugged her to the best of her ability with Penny in her arms.

Caroline nodded then stepped back but before anyone could present their gifts, a knock sounded on the door. Katherine was the closest to it and her pregnant belly got to it before she did and she turned her body to open it properly, frowning when she saw Carol Lockwood on the other side. "What do you want? Haven't you and your son caused enough pain?" she demanded with her arms crossed above her stomach.

Carol looked at Katherine. "I don't want any trouble. I wanted to say that Tyler is in Florida with his uncle. Richard thought it was best that he moved in with Mason. I was hesitant at first, but I eventually agreed."

From where she was sitting, April breathed a sigh of relief. Her son would finally have a better chance at having his happy home with her and Matt rather than having his father around and try to influence him in the wrong direction. Handing Penny back to her mother, April stood and crossed the room to where Katherine and Carol stood. "Katherine, would you and the others go see if they are ready?" she asked the curly-haired brunette, who nodded after a few seconds of hesitation.

She leads the procession of women out of the room, leaving just April and Carol alone. "Like I told Mrs. Mikaelson, I do not wish to cause trouble. I want to know my grandson, if you are okay with that, April," Carol explained.

April nodded. "I would like that very much, but it can't be because of Tyler trying to worm his way back into my good graces, okay?" she said with soft demand.

"Understood, April," Carol replied, holding out her hand to shake on the deal. April shook it then smiled when the door opened again and her father's face appeared. "I'll leave you two alone, and congratulations, April."

Once she was gone, Andrew turned to his daughter. "What was that all about, April?" he asked quietly.

"She wants to get to know Gavin, and I explained that it can only be her and no one else," April tells him with another smile before she changes the subject. "Is it time?"

"It's time to make my daughter Mrs. Matthew Donovan," Andrew replied.

**Meanwhile**

Caroline coughed as she shakily sat back. She had come into the bathroom five minutes ago, having felt a bit sick to her stomach. In fact, she had been feeling like this for a while now and wasn't sure what it could be. She then remembered the last time she and Klaus had sex, which was right after April had been granted custody of Gavin. Reaching for her purse after flushing the toilet, she grabbed a pregnancy test out of it, shakily got to her feet and gave a sample of her urine, after which she waited for the test to work. "Care, are you in here?"

Startled slightly by the voice, Caroline looked and saw Elena coming in. "Yeah, Lena, I'm here."

Elena then approached the stall where the blonde was sitting. "Care, are you okay? The ceremony is about to…" She noticed the stick in her hand. "Oh my God, are you…"

"I don't know, I might be," Caroline said. "That's why I'm taking this pregnancy test. I haven't been feeling too good lately and I wanted to see if that's the reason." As she finished speaking, she looked at the stick and sure enough, it turned blue. "Well, looks like I'm pregnant."

"Klaus is going to want to know," Elena said. "This is his baby as well as yours."

"I'm definitely going to tell Nik about this," Caroline said. "I'll pull him aside at the reception and tell him about the baby."

Elena nodded. "Good. The sooner you tell him, the better."

Caroline nodded and they left the bathroom, where they were met by a frantic Anna, who pulled on their arms to get them back into the procession line, in their proper place. Elena and Caroline both smiled over their shoulder at April, who stood with her arm linked in the one belonging to her father. The music started and Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, Anna and Katherine began their trip down the aisle in front of April and her father, before the bride to be and her father finally began their trek forward to where Matt stood with Klaus, Damon, Vaughn, Jeremy and Elijah, her groom tall and proud and so very handsome in his tuxedo. Once they had reached him, April turned to her father, tears in her eyes as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek one last time. "I love you, sweetheart," he tells her softly.

Matt takes her hand before she can break down in her father's embrace and she grips tightly onto it, facing him and taking his other hand. Once everyone in the church was seated, the priest they had hired began the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to witness the union of Matthew and April as they enter the bonds of holy matrimony. The bride and groom have each written vows for each other, which they will now share."

Matt looked at April, squeezing her hands tight. "April, words cannot begin to describe how much you've meant to me since the day you came into my studio. You have changed my life in so many ways, and if it takes the rest of our lives, I plan to thank you every day for making me the man that stands here before you. You are my love and my best friend. I promise that I'll provide for you, and even for Gavin, who has also touched my life since the day I met him. I love you, April, and I always will."

April tried not to let her tears fall as she listened to his vows. He had spoken so eloquently and it took her breath away. Clearing her throat, she proceeded with the vows she has written for him. "Matt, from the moment I met you, I knew we were destined for each other. I feel that God had a plan when he brought you into my life, and looking at you as we embark on this, the beginning of our lives together, I know that I was right. You are the sweetest, gentlest, most loving man I have ever met. I see the way you are with Gavin, and it makes my heart fill with happiness and pride. You are my life, my world, my love, my partner and my best friend. I'm proud to become your wife today, Matt, and I know that you'll love and care for me for the rest of our lives. I love you too, and I'll prove it to you every day."

Taking one hand away from hers, Matt turned to smile at his stepson, who moved forward until he was between the couple. "I also forgot to mention that Gavin and I went down to the courthouse the other day and picked this up," Matt tells the guests at the wedding as well as his bride to be. Opening the paper with Gavin's help, Matt presented it to April, who felt fresh tears fall down her cheeks at the sight of it.

"You're going to adopt him legally?" she asked in a whisper.

He nodded that he was then told her, "With your permission, of course."

"You have my permission, Mr. Donovan," she said with a grin.

Matt grinned back, knowing that he'd be getting both Gavin and April. Then, once that was taken care of, Damon came over with the ring for Matt to give to April. The priest then said to Matt, "Matt, place the ring on April's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

Matt nodded and placed the ring on April's finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."

April smiled through her tears as Caroline came over with the ring for her to give to Matt. She heard the priest say to her, "April, place the ring on Matt's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

April placed the ring on Matt's finger and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"And by the power invested in me by the city of New York, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife." The priest looked at Matt. "Matt, you may kiss your bride."

Matt didn't need to be told twice and pulled April to him in a deep, passionate kiss as the congregation applauded, Andrew included.

**Beginning of the Reception**

Caroline tugged on Klaus' hand and pulled him toward the room adjacent to the ballroom, closing the door behind them and looking up at him with hesitation. "Love, what is wrong?" he asked as he stepped forward to frame her face in his hands. Caroline put her hands over his and looked into his eyes.

"I'm…pregnant," she finally tells him.

"You are?" he asked her and she nodded her confirmation, pulling the test she'd taken earlier from her clutch purse and showing it to him.

Klaus looked at the test and it confirmed what Caroline had told him. She was pregnant, it was clear as anything. He looked at Caroline again and saw that she was a bit nervous. He pulled her to him and kissed her softly. Caroline returned his kiss without hesitation, moaning against his mouth. After a few minutes, Klaus stepped back, breaking the kiss and looking into her blue eyes with his greenish-blue ones. It was quiet between them until Klaus said, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, love. In fact, and you're going to think this is crazy, but the moment I met you, I imagined how you would look pregnant."

"It's not crazy at all, Nik," she replied. "It means that you were imagining a future for us." She kissed him again. "So, now what do we do?"

Klaus didn't answer right away, but stepped back and got down on one knee, taking her hand in his. "I guess now is as good a time as any." He sighed. "Caroline, you have made my world a lot brighter from the moment you walked into the studio and into my life. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. You are everything that I have ever wanted, and if you'll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He took the box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a diamond ring. "Caroline Elizabeth Forbes, my angel, will you marry me?"

Caroline couldn't breathe as she looked at the ring. How could she possibly say no to that? "It's beautiful. I love you so much and…yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, I will marry you, Niklaus Alexander Mikaelson." Klaus smiled as he placed the ring on her finger, kissing it before standing up and pulling her into his arms, kissing her passionately. Caroline returned his kiss and in that moment, she felt like she was the happiest woman in the world, because not only was she going to be getting a great guy like Klaus for a husband, but she was also having his baby.

After a few minutes, Klaus pulled away and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Caroline." He kissed her again before kneeling down and kissing her belly. "I love you too, little Mikaelson."

Caroline smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. "We love you too, Daddy."

They were interrupted by the door opening and Elena poked her head. "What are you two doing? April and Matt are about to share their first dance!" she said and the now-engaged couple hurried quickly after their friend, hand in hand.

They got into the ballroom just in time for the DJ to announce, "Please welcome for the first time as a newly-married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew and April Donovan, and their son, Gavin Donovan!"

Everyone clapped as Matt held his hand out for April, and she took it, with him bowing to her and she gave a curtsy. Before the DJ could turn the song on, Caroline got an idea, pulling Klaus up with her to the stage. She whispered her idea in his ear and he nodded, moving to grab the guitar case he'd brought with him and pulling out his guitar, strumming the tune of 'Lucky' by Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz before he began to play, while he began to sing:

**_Do you hear me?  
I'm talking to you  
Across the water across the deep blue ocean  
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying_**

Caroline joined in on the next part.

**_Boy I hear you in my dreams  
I feel your whisper across the sea  
I keep you with me in my heart  
You make it easier when life gets hard_**

They sang the chorus together, with their backs to each other.

**_Chorus  
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend  
Lucky to have been where I have been  
Lucky to be coming home again  
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh_**

_**They don't know how long it takes**_  
_**Waiting for a love like this**_  
_**Every time we say goodbye**_  
_**I wish we had more kiss**_  
_**I'll wait for you I promise you, I will**_

_**Chorus**_  
_**I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend**_  
_**Lucky to have been where I have been**_  
_**Lucky to be coming home again**_  
_**Lucky we're in love every way**_  
_**Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed**_  
_**Lucky to be coming home someday**_

_**And so I'm sailing through the sea**_  
_**To an island where we'll meet**_  
_**You'll hear the music fill the air**_  
_**I'll put a flower in your hair**_  
_**Though the breezes through trees**_  
_**Move so pretty you're all I see**_  
_**As the world keeps spinning round**_  
_**You hold me right here right now**_

_**Chorus**_  
_**I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend**_  
_**Lucky to have been where I have been**_  
_**Lucky to be coming home again**_  
_**I'm lucky we're in love every way**_  
_**Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed**_  
_**Lucky to be coming home someday**_

_**Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh**_  
_**Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh**_

Applause burst around the room as the song came to an end, and Caroline and Klaus came off the stage to receive the hugs of their newlywed friends. "Mate, you might want to take your bride out of here, because you're going on a trip to paradise," Caroline heard her new fiancé tell Matt, as he held up a manila envelope to the other man, gasping when she saw what it was.

"You're giving them a honeymoon?" she asked with her voice still oozing with shock.

Klaus nodded. "They are going to go to the places they want to go, but I know Matt will most likely pick places April will want to go to, while Caroline & I and Damon & Elena will divide up time with Gavin while they're gone for two weeks," he tells him. April jumps into his arms and hugs him fiercely before Matt does the same thing.

"Thank you, Niklaus, we can't begin to consider how lucky we all are to have each other," Matt tells the Brit after he pulls back.

**Author's Note 2:** Well, I hope that you enjoyed the first part of the epilogue, because the Klaus/Caroline part will be up next!


	19. Epilogue, Part 2

**_Previously, in "Angels in a Centerfold," Matt and April get married and Matt adopts Gavin legally. Meanwhile, Caroline finds out that she's pregnant with Klaus' baby, and after she tells him about it, Klaus asks her to marry him._**

**Author's Note:** I'm proud that this is almost to the end, but sad, because it is almost complete after only THREE WEEKS of writing. But of course, we'll be doing a sequel and writing a second collaboration together, so be on the look-out for both of those!

**_Song: From this Moment On  
Artists: Shania Twain & Bryan White_**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Rome, Italy – Two Weeks Later**…

"Oh, Caroline, you look so beautiful." Caroline smiled when she heard what Elena was saying as the brunette made some last-minute adjustments to her friend's gown. She and Klaus were getting married today, and it was the best day of her life. It was almost hard to believe that just two weeks ago, she had told him that she was pregnant and he had asked her to marry him.

"Thank you, Lena," she replied. "I'm glad that you guys could all be here for this. It means a lot to me and to Nik." She placed her hand on her still-flat belly. "And it also means a lot to our little Mikaelson."

Elena smiled. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for anything." She cleared her throat. "Oh, and, uh, I hope you don't think I'm upstaging you or anything, but Damon asked me to marry him the same time that Klaus asked you. To be honest, I wasn't expecting him to do it, but since Katherine is married now, it's now my turn."

Caroline looked at Elena's ring and was in awe of it. "It's beautiful, Lena."

Elena was about to say something when a knock came at the door. The two women looked at each other, not sure who could be coming by. Caroline then said, "I hope that's not Nik, because he knows that the groom can't see the bride before the ceremony."

Anna, seeing that neither one of them was moving, went to the door and opened it, revealing the one person Caroline didn't expect to see – her father. "Daddy!"

Bill Forbes smiled at his daughter. "Hello, Caroline. You didn't think I'd miss out on the opportunity to walk my little girl down the aisle, did you?"

Caroline ran to her father and hugged him. "Oh my God, I can't believe you're here!" She stepped back and looked him in the eye. "How did you know where to find me? Did Mom tell you?"

"Actually, your fiancé arranged for me to come. He told me that he wanted it to be a surprise for you."

"I'm definitely surprised," Caroline said. "Did he also tell you that you have a grandchild on the way?"

"No, but that doesn't matter," Bill said. "What matters is that you're about to take the biggest step of your life." He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later, baby. I love you."

As he walked away, Caroline said, "I love you too, Daddy."

Once he was gone, April jumped into Caroline's line of vision, grinning like a school-girl in love. "Did I miss anything?" she asked her friend. Caroline squealed and hugged April tightly to her.

"No, but we're glad that you're here," she said, pulling April inside and shutting the door behind her. "How was Hawaii?"

"Beautiful and wonderful," April replied as she dug into her bag and brought out the leis she'd packed, handing them out to each of her friends. "As they say in Hawaii, 'aloha', which means hello and goodbye; and 'mahalo', which means thank you. I'm glad that you are including me in your wedding still, Caroline, and Matt and I both apologize for getting here so late."

"Nonsense, you're here now and that's all that matters," Caroline said as April draped the lei around her neck then they hugged again.

**Elsewhere**…

Klaus smiled as he adjusted his tie. He was looking forward to marrying Caroline today. He had seen Bill walking past the door and couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that she had gotten her surprise.

Damon smiled at his friend. Gavin was playing nearby so that he could see him. "You look great, Klaus," he remarked. "Caroline is sure lucky to be marrying you."

"And Damon is right," another voice said from the doorway. They both turned to see Matt wearing the same grin as his wife, as Gavin ran up to his father.

"Papa, how was Hawaii?" Gavin asked as he hugged Matt's legs.

"It was great, buddy; your Mommy and I had a great time, but we missed you," Matt said as he ruffled Gavin's dark hair.

**Meanwhile**…

Tyler arrived outside with Tatia clinging to his back on the motorcycle he'd gotten shortly after arriving in Italy. They had met up in Florida and had begun hatching a plan to destroy lives … and take back his son.

Tatia noticed the look of determination on Tyler's face as they got off the motorcycle. She had to admit, he was hot. In fact, he could definitely put Klaus to shame in the looks department. Hell, he was even better in bed than Klaus was.

**Meanwhile**…

Damon smiled as he saw Matt ruffle Gavin's hair. "Yeah, he missed you guys terribly. But, he was well-behaved while you were gone and I enjoyed having hanging out with him." He looked at Gavin. "Right, Gavin? You enjoyed hanging out with your Uncle Damon?"

Gavin nodded. "Yeah, you're cool, Uncle Damon." He nodded toward Klaus. "You are too, Uncle Nik."

Klaus smiled. "Thank you, Gavin. You're pretty cool yourself." He then said to Matt, "Truth be told, mate, looking after Gavin helped me prepare for when I become a father."

"You're not the only one who got the practice," Damon said. "I got the practice in too. Elena and I talked about having kids, and watching Gavin made me imagine how I'd be with my own son…or daughter, whichever Elena and I have first." He laughed. "Ironic, isn't it? I just got engaged and I'm talking about being a father." He became serious then, and clenched his fist as he thought about his own father. "And I'll tell you all right now; I'm going to be a hell of a lot better father than Guiseppe Salvatore could ever DREAM of being. He walked out on his family, leaving my mother to raise me and Stefan by herself, and I hated him for it. I'll never do that to Elena, because unlike my selfish, bigamist father, I play for keeps."

"And you should be," Klaus said as he clapped Damon on the shoulder, giving him a smile that eased his fears away.

Matt nodded in agreement with Klaus, knowing his friend needed the boost of confidence when it came to fatherhood. "You'll be better than your father, Damon. We both know it, and Elena, Caroline and April all know it," he tells the dark-haired Salvatore.

**In the Chapel's Hallway**

April had told Caroline that she was going to check on Penny, and as she walked, she sent a text message to her new husband: _Meet me in the first room you can find!_ They had been trying impromptu hook-ups ever since they went on their honeymoon, but now, it became a new thing for them. She finished sending the text message when a hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her into a hard body. April tried to struggle against the arms that wrapped around her, holding her in place, but to no avail. Once the person let go, she turned around, prepared to unleash her fury on the person and let herself do just that when she saw that it was Tyler. "You bastard, you better not ruin Caroline's wedding!" she shrieked as she let her fingernails scratch down his cheek, making him howl in pain. "HELP! HELP ME, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Outside the door, Matt had heard his wife's cry for help and he kicked the door open, seeing her standing there with Tyler, who was clutching his cheek and moaning in pain. "April, beautiful; are you okay?" he asked as he charged forward to fold her into his arms then push her behind him.

"I'm okay. He grabbed me from behind and I scratched his face to keep him away," she replied, her breath warming his neck as she spoke.

Tyler fumed at them and said with a moan still in his voice, "I'm here because I want my son back. Don't think that just because I was sent to Florida, you had seen the last of me, because I'm back and when I leave here, Gavin is going with me."

"Oh, so now he's YOUR son?" Matt said. "You don't DESERVE him, Tyler!"

"We shall see," Tyler said. "You may think you won the battle, but the war has just begun. I'll get my son back, one way or the other."

"Yeah, like I'm going to let you near him," Matt said. "And another thing, you're not going to run this for Klaus and Caroline. This is their day and NOTHING is going to stand in the way of that!"

**In the Groom's Suite**

Damon had taken Gavin to find Katherine and Elijah to watch him for a bit, leaving Klaus to finish getting ready. He was staring out the window at the scenery he never got tired of seeing over and over again when he heard the door open and close. His head turned and fury immediately fixed itself into his gaze when she saw who his visitor. "You're not welcome here, Tatiana," he said in a low warning tone.

Tatia ignored him and smiled, admiring his tux. "Wow, Nik, you're so hot in that tux." Her smile faded. "But, you're wearing it for that little blonde bitch and not me."

"You have no business talking about Caroline that way," Klaus said, not liking what she was saying. "For your information, Tatiana, she is TEN TIMES the woman you'll ever be."

Tatia maintained her serious face as she approached him. "Oh, really, and what does she have that I don't, huh? I loved you, Nik!"

Klaus flew into a rage and grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her back as he pushed her against the wall. "You lying bitch! You never loved me. In fact, you don't even know the meaning of the word! All you ever wanted to do was have sex with me and nothing else! That's what I found so remarkable about Caroline. She loves me for me, and it isn't about sex with her. It's about passion and fun."

Tatia wasn't fazed by what he was saying. Instead, she laughed at him. "You know, Nik, you're even hotter when you're angry. It's a real turn-on. Tell me, does it turn Caroline on as well?"

Klaus got really angry and, letting go of her wrist, he slapped her, sending her flying across the room, knocking over a vase that he was sure was expensive. Of course, he was too angry to care at the moment. Once she was on the floor, he knelt down by her and grabbed her by the throat. "I won't let you ruin this day for us, do you understand me? If you think for one minute that you can try to make me betray Caroline, you are even more insane than I thought."

**Half an Hour Later – The Beginning of the Ceremony**

Bill walked his daughter up to where Klaus stood tall and handsome, much like Matt had two weeks ago for April, in his tuxedo. He kissed his daughter on the cheek before she took Klaus' hand. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in front of God and these witnesses to see firsthand the exchanging of vows between Niklaus Alexander Mikaelson and Caroline Lillian Forbes. If there is anyone who would like to object to this sacred ceremony, speak now or forever hold your peace," the minister said, but no one spoke up so he continued. "The exchanging of rings is an eternal and sacred bond that, while broken often, still reminds us of the love between a husband and wife. So, Niklaus, if you would turn to your bride and take her hands & repeat after me: I, Niklaus, take you, Caroline, to be my wife. I promise to love, honor, obey and cherish you through sickness and health, for better or worse, with all that I am and with all that I have, until death do us part."

Klaus half turned to Matt, who handed him something that Caroline couldn't see then turned back to the minister and handed him the objects. Caroline gasped upon seeing them, knowing that her mom, Dad and Stephen had helped with keeping it quiet from Caroline; the jewels that the minister had once belonged to her grandmother, Liz's mother, Lillian Forbes. "I, Niklaus, take you, Caroline, to be my wife. I promise to love, honor, obey and cherish you through sickness and health, for better or worse, with all that I am and with all that I have, until death do us part." He slipped the ring onto her finger then brought it up to his mouth and kissed it.

From behind Caroline, April sniffled a bit and the sound made Caroline feel a lot less nervous. Keeping her eyes on Klaus', she picked up the matching gold band, not waiting for the pastor to remind her of what to say. "I, Caroline, take you, Niklaus, to be my husband. I promise to love, honor, obey – but not all the time – and cherish you through sickness and health, for better or worse, with all that I am and with all that I have, until death do us part."

Caroline placed the ring on Klaus' finger, trying her best not to cry as she slipped it on. Once the rings were exchanged, the minister then smiled at the couple. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He looked at Klaus. "Niklaus, you may now kiss your bride."

Klaus smiled and pulled Caroline to him in a passionate kiss.

**At The Reception**

Kol watched Lexi saunter back over to him and he grinned at her. "And just what do you have up your sleeve, Mrs. Kol Mikaelson?" he asked as he pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly.

She smiled against his lips. "I am planning to surprise the happy couple with a little song I thought sounded perfect for their first dance as newlyweds. Would you like to do me the honor of joining me on stage and singing with me, Mr. Lexi Branson?" she asked with another smile.

"I would love nothing better than to sing a duet with you, love," he said, kissing her again before lifting her hand and twirling her out in front of him as her laughter grew slightly in volume.

"Please welcome to the stage for the very first time, Mrs. Lexi Mikaelson, in her singing debut," the DJ said to the audience then smiled as Klaus and Caroline came into the room finally, dressed in casual clothes. "And please welcome for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Niklaus and Caroline Mikaelson!"

Everyone that had gathered for the wedding cheered for the newlyweds, as Lexi & Kol moved up to the stage, where Lexi gestured to the DJ to start the music. She started with the speaking part, _I do swear that I'll always be there. I'd give anything and everything and I will always care. Through weakness and strength, happiness and sorrow, for better or worse, I will love you with every beat of my heart._

Kol came in on the first part, picking up the microphone and holding his wife from behind, his arms wrapped around her waist as his head nestled on her shoulder.

**_From this moment life has begun  
From this moment you are the one  
Right beside you is where I belong  
From this moment on_**

Klaus smiled as he heard them sing and looked at Caroline. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Mikaelson?"

Caroline smiled back. "You certainly may, Mr. Mikaelson."

Klaus then led her out onto the dance floor and pulled her close to him as they began to sway to the music.

Back on stage, Kol held his wife's hand as they looked into each other's eyes and continued to sing to each other and the audience:

**_From this moment I have been blessed  
I live only for your happiness  
And for your love I'd give my last breath  
From this moment on_**

_**I give my hand to you with all my heart**_  
_**Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start**_  
_**You and I will never be apart**_  
_**My dreams came true because of you**_

_**From this moment as long as I live**_  
_**I will love you, I promise you this**_  
_**There is nothing I wouldn't give**_  
_**From this moment on**_

_**You're the reason I believe in love**_  
_**And you're the answer to my prayers from up above**_  
_**All we need is just the two of us**_  
_**My dreams came true because of you**_

_**From this moment as long as I live**_  
_**I will love you, I promise you this**_  
_**From this moment**_  
_**I will love you as long as I live**_  
_**From this moment on**_

Out on the floor, Klaus looked lovingly into his new wife's eyes, smiling at her and leaned in to kiss her. Caroline returned his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, moaning as the kiss deepened.

When they broke the kiss, she said, "I love you, Nik."

"I love you too, Caroline," Klaus said. "Always and forever, I will love you."

**Author's Note 2:** We're still not to the end yet, but just one more chapter and we'll be there! I am considering doing a 3-part one-shot where the girls' daughters do the same thing with their boyfriends/lives, but squishing them all into one story-line. Would you want me and Erin to do that? Let us know your thoughts, please!


	20. Epilogue, Part 3

**_Previously, in "Angels in a Centerfold," Klaus and Caroline get married in Italy, and April & Matt surprise them both before the ceremony, having returned from their honeymoon to Hawaii._**

**Author's Note:** THE END IS HERE! Erin and I will definitely be back with more, we promise!

**_Song: Hero  
Artist: Enrique Iglesias_**

**Chapter Twenty**

**Mystic Falls, Virginia – Five Months Later**…

"I don't look fat, do I?" Caroline complained to Elena as she inspected herself in the mirror.

From where she stood, April let out a hearty belly laugh, her hands on her own pregnant stomach. "No, Caroline, you look beautiful, but no one is going to be paying attention to you or me, the pregnant bridesmaids," April tells her as she smoothed any wrinkles her dress might have had.

Caroline pouted but Elena interrupted them when she stepped out from behind the dressing curtain. "April is right. Everyone's eyes are going to be on the bride," she tells Caroline with a soft, shy smile.

Caroline returned her smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining; it's just that lately, I've been feeling a little uncomfortable. Nik tells me I look beautiful, but I…"

She never got to finish because Elena went over to her and hugged her, something she always did to make her friends feel better. Caroline hugged her back, mindful of her belly.

**Elsewhere**…

"Damon, will you relax? Elena is marrying you, not your suit."

Damon rolled his eyes at what Stefan was telling him as he inspected himself in the mirror for perhaps the umpteenth time. "I know that, Stefan, but I just want everything to be perfect. I just wish that stupid rule about the groom not being able to see the bride before the ceremony didn't exist. I'd really like to see what Elena looks like in her dress."

Stefan smiled and approached his brother, pulling him into a hug. "I love you, brother. I want you to know that. I always looked up to you when we were growing up and I'll admit, I did have moments where I was a brat, but it wasn't intentional."

Damon forced a smile as he returned his little brother's hug. "I love you too, Stefan."

A sudden flash startled both brothers out of their embrace and Damon looked to see Klaus standing there, his camera in hand and a grin on his face. "Sorry about that, mate. I couldn't resist immortalizing that Kodak moment you were having with your brother. I tried doing the same with Caroline, but the poor thing is a little self-conscious. She's five months pregnant and she thinks she's fat. I tell her every day that she's beautiful, but she either pouts or starts to cry."

"Rebekah went through that stage when she was still pregnant with Dante," Stefan said. "I can't begin to tell you how many times she had a crying fit." He smiled at Klaus. "The best thing you can do is be supportive and give her a hug. And little romantic gestures couldn't hurt either, like leaving little love notes on her pillow, roses on the bedside table, and even serving her breakfast in bed."

Klaus nodded. "Thank you, Stefan. I'll be sure to do that." Pulling out his phone, he handed it to his brother in law. "Would you mind…" Stefan nodded and began to record Klaus getting his guitar case out from beneath the table in the dressing room then sitting down and placing his guitar on his lap, beginning to play 'I Do (Cherish You)' by 98 Degrees.

**_All I am, all I'll be  
Everything in this world  
All that I'll ever need  
Is in your eyes  
Shining at me  
When you smile I can feel  
All my passion unfolding  
Your hand brushes mine  
And a thousand sensations  
Seduce me because I_**

_**Chorus**_  
_**I do cherish you**_  
_**For the rest of my life**_  
_**You don't have to think twice**_  
_**I will love you still**_  
_**From the depths of my soul**_  
_**It's beyond my control**_  
_**I've waited so long to say this to you**_  
_**If you're asking do I love you this much?**_  
_**I do**_

_**In my world, before you**_  
_**I lived outside my emotions**_  
_**Didn't know where I was going**_  
_**Until that day I found you**_  
_**How you opened my life**_  
_**To a new paradise**_  
_**In a world torn by change**_  
_**Still with all of my heart**_  
_**Until my dying day**_

_**Chorus**_  
_**I do cherish you**_  
_**For the rest of my life**_  
_**You don't have to think twice**_  
_**I will love you still**_  
_**From the depths of my soul**_  
_**It's beyond my control**_  
_**I've waited so long to say this to you**_  
_**If you're asking do I love you this much?**_  
_**I do**_

Stefan stopped recording and pressed SAVE on Klaus' phone then handed it back to Klaus, who browsed through his phone until he found the video, scrolling through his contacts and once he found Caroline's name, clicked it and sent the video.

Damon smiled as he saw what Klaus was doing. "Caroline is sure to love what you did, Klaus. I know how much you enjoy expressing your love for her through music."

"Oh, I'm sure she will too," Klaus said. "She needs some cheering up right now, and hearing my song will definitely help."

**Bride's Dressing Room – That Same Moment**…

Caroline heard her phone buzz and when she picked it up she saw that there was a video that was sent a few minutes ago, and she didn't have to guess who it was from. Excusing herself, she went to the bathroom adjacent to the room, locking it for privacy before she clicked on the link to the video and Klaus appeared on the screen, strumming his guitar and singing 'I Do (Cherish You)' by 98 Degrees. As she listened to him, Caroline felt tears welling up in her eyes and dabbed them gently so that her mascara didn't run. When the song was over, she placed her hand on her belly, feeling the baby kick.

"Your daddy definitely knows how to make things better," she whispered. "I'll have to give him a big kiss when I see him later. God, I love him so much."

Outside, April knocked on the door. "Care, the wedding is about to start. We should get going," she tells Caroline.

Caroline called back, "I'm coming!" She finished wiping away the tears of joy from the video then fluffed her hair and checked her make up one last time before exiting the bathroom. She and April picked up their bouquets of flowers then left the bridal suite ahead of Elena and her father.

They met their husbands in the hallway that led into the inner part of the church, where Caroline slid her hand into the crook of Klaus' arm. "Did you like the video I sent you?" he whispered to her.

"I did like it, thank you for making it and for loving me," she whispered back. She would have kissed him right then and there if they hadn't heard the wedding march begin.

Klaus smiled at her. "It looks like we'll have to wait until the reception for that kiss, love."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, but it'll be worth the wait."

That being said, they walked into the church and took their places at the altar. Damon stood proudly at his place, eager to see his bride. He didn't have to wait too long because the doors opened and Elena was seen coming down the aisle, her arm linked with Grayson's. Damon smiled as he watched her. She was definitely a vision in her gown, and he resisted the urge to run up to her and kiss her in front of the whole congregation.

Grayson escorted his daughter to the altar, where he kissed her cheek before giving her to Damon. Elena smiled at her groom as they turned to face Pastor Young, who was performing the ceremony. Now that things were better between him and April, Elena thought it would be great if he performed the ceremony.

Once everyone was seated, Pastor Young began. "We are gathered today among family and friends to witness the union of Damon Joseph Salvatore and Elena Michelle Gilbert. The bride and groom have each written vows for each other and they will now recite them."

Damon took both of Elena's hands in his and squeezed them. "Elena, you have changed my life in ways I can't begin to describe. You took the troubled boy that I once was and turned him into the man you see before you today. You are my angel, my love, my light and my best friend. I promise you that I will never leave you or make you think less of me. You have ignited a flame within me and I will keep that flame going throughout our lives together. I love you, Elena, and I'll love you until the day I take my last breath."

Elena listened to his vows and tried to keep from crying. She knew that he meant every word, and she didn't doubt that he'd always love her, because she'd always love him. She squeezed his hands and proceeded with her vows. "Damon, where can I begin? Although you and I didn't exactly get off to the best of starts, we found a way to make it work. You brought so much love and joy into my life and I'm honored to stand before you and become your wife. You are my rock, my home and my heart. I promise that I will love you with everything I've got and there's nothing I wouldn't do to make you proud of me."

They turned to Katherine and Elijah and took the rings they were supposed to exchange and waited for Pastor Young to start that part with bated breaths. Pastor Young looked at Damon and said, "Damon, place the ring on Elena's finger and say these words, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

Damon nodded and placed the ring on Elena's finger and said, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Pastor Young then looked at Elena and said, "Elena, place the ring on Damon's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'."

Elena nodded and placed the ring on Damon's finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."

After the rings were exchanged, Pastor Young said, "By the power invested in me by the state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He looked at Damon. "Damon, you may now kiss your bride."

Damon didn't need to be told twice and pulled Elena to him in a passionate kiss, not paying attention to the applause from the congregation. The only thing that concerned him at that moment was kissing his new wife. Elena returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss before pulling back, her brown eyes gazing lovingly into his blue ones.

**Beginning of the Reception**…

Elijah caressed Katherine's hand as he held it in his. They had taken a walk around the back part of her family's cabin and he wondered what could be on her mind. "Katerina, love, you brought me out here for a reason; do I get to know what it is or do I have to be kept in suspense?" he asked as he stopped them in their trek around the backyard.

Katherine sighs in a heavy, dramatic manner. "Now that Elena and Damon have gotten married, I thought it would be best to tell you that I'm going to add to our two-person family," she finally tells him. "And the best news is that there is more than one person growing inside of me."

Her husband fell to his knees in front of her, not giving a damn that he was ruining his nice pants. His hands were gentle as he placed them at her still-flat stomach and she placed her own over his. "I can't believe it. My wife is a twin and she's going to give us twins," he said; his voice soft and oozing shock.

Katherine smiled. "Well, believe it, Elijah, because Klaus and Caroline aren't the only ones adding to the Mikaelson family."

**Back at the Reception**

Caroline tugged at Klaus' hand as she led him to a private room a few doors down from the ballroom. She had been patient all through the ceremony and now that it was over, she could finally give her husband the thank you that she had been itching to give him. Klaus noticed how excited his wife was and once the door was closed behind them, he went to speak, but Caroline grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him to her in a kiss that was deep and passionate.

Klaus returned her kiss and then pulled away, smiling at her. "Easy, love. I know you were happy about the video I sent, but I didn't know you were that happy."

Caroline returned his smile. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it." She kissed him again. "I love you so much and I really, really, really wanted to thank you. You know just what to do to make me feel better."

"Well, I couldn't let my darling wife be all upset, now could I?" Klaus said. "I love seeing you smile." He kissed her again, gently nibbling on her bottom lip before kneeling before her and kissing her belly. "I don't want the little one to feel left out because I'm giving Mommy all the attention."

Caroline giggled and ran heir fingers through her husband's hair. "You're so good to me, Nik. You're going to be a wonderful father. The baby knows it too."

"Speaking of the baby, did you want to find out the gender at our next appointment? I know how much you're looking forward to planning the nursery, and I know everyone we love and care about will want to spoil the baby rotten," he tells her as he plays with the hem of her dress while waiting for her reply.

"I hate to do this to you, but I've already had that appointment. I found out that we're going to be having a boy, and I have the perfect name for him too," she tells him, pulling out the sonogram picture and showing it to him.

Klaus looked at the sonogram picture. A son. They were going to have a son. He was still looking at it when he said, "What name have you chosen for him?"

"Liam," Caroline said. "Liam Niklaus Mikaelson. I thought it was a cute name." She smiled. "Do you like it?"

"Darling, I love it," Klaus said. "It's a wonderful name for our son."

Just then, Rebekah and Stefan both poked their heads into the room. "Hey, you two, Elena is asking for you," Rebekah said to them.

Klaus got up from his knees and kissed his wife on the lips one more time before pulling her behind him to where his sister and her husband were. "It's a boy, Bekah," he tells his sister with a grin.

She squeals and hugs Caroline while jumping up and down. "We have so much planning to do!" she tells her sister in law as Rebekah pulls Caroline behind her, leaving Klaus and Stefan to do their own thing.

They walked behind their wives as Caroline and Rebekah chattered away about the nursery they had to work on. As they all entered the ballroom once again, Caroline and Rebekah went back to where Lexi was bouncing Dante on her knees and Kol was making faces at his nephew.

Up on stage, Katherine & Elijah and Matt & April were setting up to start singing. While they did that, the DJ was playing slow songs and Jeremy & Anna, Miranda & Grayson and Damon & Elena were out on the floor, each couple staring into each other's eyes.

Damon smiled at Elena as they swayed to the music, leaning in and kissing her. Elena returned his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. When she pulled away, she saw Caroline and Rebekah talking about the nursery for her baby, huge smiles on their faces.

"I see Caroline is feeling better now," she said. "She's talking to Rebekah about the nursery."

Damon looked over and smiled. "Klaus' video did the trick, just like I knew it would."

"Wait, what video?" Elena asked, stopping her movements. "Klaus sent her a video? Why didn't I know about it?"

"Because, he was trying to lift her spirits a little bit, so he had Stefan record him on his cell phone singing 'I Do (Cherish You)' by 98 Degrees," Damon told his new wife.

Elena nodded. "And what would you do if I was in Caroline's shoes?" she asked her husband as she resumed dancing with him.

Damon smiled at Elena. "I'd do the same thing, or what Stefan did for Rebekah, only better; believe me, your spirits will be lifted in seconds after that."

Elena kissed him. "That's good to know. I'd definitely want my loving and devoted husband to do whatever it takes to make me feel special when I'm pregnant."

They turned when they heard Matt's voice in the microphone. "How is everyone doing tonight? Are you having a good time?" he asked as he smiled at his own expectant wife.

"Yeah," the guests from the wedding all echoed with a cheer.

"Well, then, you better put on your dancing shoes, because your 'good times' are about to get better. Here is a little dedication to our newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Damon and Elena Salvatore!" Katherine said with a grin. She gestured to Jules, Brady and Klaus to begin the music. Klaus strummed the melody to 'Hero' by Enrique Iglesias and Brady came in on his own guitar before Jules started playing on the piano.

Katherine turned back to her husband, looking deep into his eyes as he said the spoken part to her. _(Let me be your hero)_ Her knees buckled a little bit, but she stayed upright with help from him, keeping his hand in hers as she nestled into him, her back to his front while they watched Matt sing the first part to April.

**_Would you dance if I asked you to dance?  
Would you run and never look back?  
Would you cry if you saw me crying?  
Would you save my soul tonight?_**

Elijah took his turn next, turning Katherine back to him as he sang to her.

**_Would you tremble if I touched your lips?  
Would you laugh, oh please tell me this  
Now would you die for the one you love?  
Hold me in your arms tonight?_**

On the chorus, Zach's deep voice sang to Jules as her eyes met his in a shy manner.

**_I can be your hero baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away_**

Matt took his turn again, twirling April around gently as she giggled a little bit.

**_Would you swear that you'll always be mine?  
Would you lie?  
Would you run and hide?  
Am I in too deep?  
Have I lost my mind?  
I don't care, you're here tonight_**

Lexi and Kol jumped up on stage next, taking the second chorus as they swayed to the soft music.

**_I can be your hero baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away_**

Next, Jeremy and Anna joined the other couples, his eyes grinning as he looked out at his sister shaking her head while Damon held her from behind.

**_Ohhh I just wanna hold you,  
I just wanna hold you, oh yeah  
Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?  
I don't care, you're here tonight_**

Elijah took back over, kissing Katherine in a soft, passionate manner.

**_I can be your hero baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
(Oh yeah)  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away_**

Matt finished off the song, his hands resting over his wife's on her pregnant belly.

**_I can be your hero  
I can kiss away the pain  
And I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away  
You can take my breath away  
I can be your hero_**

**Author's Note 2:** Well, Erin and I are glad that you enjoyed this fan fiction. We hope that you will definitely come back for "A Soldier's Coming Home", our next collaboration, and the sequel to "Angels in a Centerfold", which will be coming _after_ "A Soldier's Coming Home". ENJOY and remember to REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!


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